US Targets Southeast Asia Scam Networks in $10B Crackdown

The US Treasury has imposed sanctions on 19 entities tied to cyber scam operations in Southeast Asia, targeting schemes that have siphoned over $10 billion from Americans. The crackdown focuses on 'pig butchering' scams, where victims are lured into fake investments through fabricated romantic relationships.

Shwe Kokko, a Myanmar compound controlled by the Karen National Army, has emerged as a hub for these operations. Backed by Chinese investors and local militias, the area operates like a digital sweatshop, trapping victims under false job pretenses and forcing them into online fraud.

Cambodia's Sihanoukville has similarly become a hotspot for such criminal networks. The Treasury's action aims to disrupt these operations, which Secretary Marco Rubio described as 'cruel' in a recent tweet.