A recent infographic mapping Myanmar’s infamous scam centres, including Kokang’s Shwe Kokko and Myawaddy’s KK Park, shines a light on sprawling fraud factories across Southeast Asia. These facilities have become epicentres for online scams, human trafficking, and forced criminality.
The United Nations and independent research institutions estimate upwards of 120,000 individuals have been trafficked into Myanmar and Cambodia since 2023 to operate in scam compounds. Many victims, over 7,000 in recent efforts, have been repatriated through coordinated efforts by Thailand, Myanmar, and China. India alone rescued nearly 300 of its nationals from the Myanmar-Thai border area, amidst ongoing crackdowns
Reports from VOA, BBC, and others show that scam centres like KK Park and Shwe Kokko have morphed into modern-day fraud hubs, blending cyber extortion, romance scams, crypto fraud, and online gambling with human trafficking and forced labour.
Tech‑Enabled Fraud and Human Exploitation
Victims are often lured by the promise of high-paying jobs in Thailand or China, only to be transported across the Myanmar border on tourist or visit visas. Once inside the compounds, scam workers undergo intimidation, surveillance, and forced labour under threat of violence and asset seizure. Many are coerced into performing “pig-butchering” fraud—a sophisticated dating and crypto-scam technique aimed at foreign victims.
The operations are largely protected by ethnic armed groups, such as the Karen National Army (KNA), controlling key zones like Shwe Kokko. The U.S. Treasury recently sanctioned KNA leaders for facilitating these scams, citing their complicity in human trafficking and money laundering networks.
International Reactions and Policy Responses
The U.S.–China Economic and Security Review Commission has warned of escalating losses to Americans—estimated at more than $5 billion in 2024—due to scams emanating from these centres, calling for higher diplomatic coordination and sanctions.
Despite rescue operations and arrests, survivors face slow repatriation and limited rehabilitation. Thousands remain stranded in camps near border areas, awaiting further processing and support.
Regional enforcement continues, but experts caution: without dismantling root criminal infrastructures and reducing demand, scam centres will shift locations and persist.