Scam Centre in Myanmar Exposed

Myanmar's scam industry is changing and moving to the jungle.

Pro-democracy fighters found a big scam centre in Myanmar's borderlands.

The centre was hidden behind jungle and razor wire fences.

It was one of the country's largest online scamming operations.

About 3,000 people worked there.

A worker said the treatment of workers was very bad.

He works for a group that helps people in need.

Some workers were left outside in the cold.

The centre was a hub for big cyber fraud.

A worker said he was punished if he didn't scam enough people.

Other workers had similar experiences.

Photos showed bruises and other injuries.

The discovery showed what the scam industry is like.

The scam industry has grown since the military took power.

Two people were trafficked into scam compounds.

They didn't want to be named for safety reasons.

The scam industry is still growing in Myanmar.

Some big scam centres were closed down.

But the industry is not stopping, it's just changing.

A senior analyst said the problem is not going away.

New scam centres are being built.

An analyst said new centres are being built even as authorities talk about stopping them.

Many new centres look like apartments.

They are near the border with Thailand.

There is evidence of a new way of scamming.

New centres are deeper in Myanmar, away from the border.

One new centre is called Tai Chang.

Workers in Tai Chang are treated very badly.

They are far from towns, so they rely on trafficked workers.

There is less care for workers in smaller centres.

Big centres like KK Park are still operating.

The industry is moving to more rural areas.

When one centre is closed, another opens.

Scam centres can be set up easily.

It's hard to stop them completely.

Who are the scammers?

Many scammers are also victims.

A Taiwanese man was lured to Myanmar with a fake job offer.

Scammers build fake online profiles and trick people into giving them money.

They target Americans and Australians.

A freed Ethiopian man said he targeted Australian women.

He said older women are good targets because they are desperate for love.

A Taiwanese man was punished for trying to escape.

He was locked in a cage and beaten.

He shared photos of his bruises.

Inside Shunda Park, successful scammers were treated better.

Those who failed were punished.

There were recreational facilities for the bosses.

Guards carried special batons to hurt workers without leaving marks.

A worker said he gave fake numbers to his bosses.

Many people are trapped in scam compounds in Myanmar.

Stopping the scam industry is hard.

Scam compounds have grown since the military coup.

The region has attracted criminal groups.

The military rulers rely on scam revenue.

Many scam centres are protected by local militias.

The capture of Shunda Park showed that scam centres can be reached.

It provided intelligence to international partners.

The FBI helped examine evidence from the centre.

Investigators identified the Chinese operators.

Two alleged ringleaders were arrested in Thailand.

One worker defrauded a victim of over $3 million.

The Myanmar military was unable to be contacted.

Shunda Park is part of a big criminal ecosystem.

Funds stolen by criminal groups are estimated to be over $43 billion a year.

The raid on Shunda Park challenged assumptions about who can confront the scam economy.

Some experts say the Karen National Union can disrupt scam operations.

Other groups have become dependent on the illicit economy.

New scam compounds are in territory occupied by the Myanmar junta-aligned militia.

An expert said the KNU is the only group with the will to stop the scams.

If no one works with the KNU, the scams will continue.

Thailand has tried to disrupt scam operations.

But scam operators have adapted and use satellite internet.

A new type of scam centre is emerging, called 'scam centres 3.0'.

They are mobile and concealed in jungle territory.

They can be set up and dismantled quickly.

It's like a humanitarian operation, but for scamming.

If pressure mounts, operators can relocate.

The KNU has called for international cooperation to stop the scams.

But with civil war, it's hard to control the compounds.

The Myanmar military wants to retake areas seized by resistance groups.

The compounds are part of the wartime economy.

For trafficked workers, it doesn't matter who controls the compounds.

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Tue 21 Jul 2026 at 3:21pm

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