UN Estimates Southeast Asian Scam Losses Reached $114BN Last Year

Scam networks across East and Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand caused an estimated $88.3 billion to $114.1 billion in losses in 2025, according to a new report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The report says criminal groups in Southeast Asia are increasingly working through shared networks rather than operating as separate local organizations. Groups specializing in fraud, money laundering, data theft, and human trafficking can now provide services to one another through the same criminal infrastructure.

Much of the money generated by the networks moves through cryptocurrency. UNODC said industrial-scale operations in the region run investment and romance scams, often known as “pig butchering,” before laundering the proceeds through crypto transactions.

The report also warned that law enforcement agencies in the region need more expertise in tracing and seizing crypto assets. UNODC said that disrupting individual scam operations is not enough, as criminal groups can quickly move their activities to new locations and continue operating.

At least 80 nationalities have been identified among people forced to work in scam compounds, according to the report. The networks are also expanding their recruitment efforts, including by targeting people with European and North American language skills.

The report identified generative AI, deepfakes, and automated fraud as increasingly used tools by criminal groups. It also said the use of malvertising to distribute malware increased by 42% in 2025, while satellite internet has allowed some operations to move away from traditional telecommunications infrastructure.