Transnational fraud networks operating in Southeast Asia pose a significant threat to the United States, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
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“Chinese organized crime syndicates running large-scale scam operations in the region are targeting Americans every day,” said Scott Schelble, Deputy Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on the FBI’s efforts to counter scam centers in Southeast Asia.
Following a recent trip to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, Mr. Shelble said “these are not small or isolated crimes; they are sophisticated, well-resourced criminal enterprises that exploit borders, technology, and vulnerable people to generate enormous profits.”
The FBI, working closely with the Department of Justice, is fully committed to leading the global fight against these networks.
The Royal Thai Police is a strong operational partner, sharing information and producing results. The FBI, Department of Justice Strike Force, and the Royal Thai Police have succeeded in disrupting these criminal networks, identifying victims, and targeting the financial infrastructure that supports these crimes, noted Deputy Assistant Director Shelble.
In Cambodia, U.S. officials discussed how to combat scam operations. “The FBI has partnered with the Cambodian National Police in a task force setting in the past,” said Mr. Shelble, “and my hope is to leverage the success from those investigations towards these scam compounds.”
He discussed similar issues of mutual concern with the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security.
Deputy Assistant Director Shelble had the opportunity to observe several large scam compounds firsthand: “And even viewing them from a distance, it is impossible to fully grasp the magnitude of these operations until you see them yourself. There are entire facilities dedicated to fraud on an industrial scale.”
“And behind these operations are real victims – often Americans who lose their life savings, and in many cases, there are trafficked individuals who are forced to participate in this criminal activity,” said Mr. Shelble. “That human cost is why this work matters so much.”
“The message from this trip is clear. The FBI will continue to pursue these syndicates aggressively wherever they operate, and we will do so in close partnership with trusted international allies,” said Deputy Assistant Director Shelble. “Criminals should not believe that borders will protect them if they target Americans. We know where you are and we are coming for you.”
