A new United Nations report has revealed that consumers across East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand lost as much as $114.1 billion to international online scams last year. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said the losses, driven by fraudulent investment and romance schemes, have tripled compared to 2023, when the total ranged between $18 billion and $37 billion.

According to the report, the surge in losses highlights the rapid expansion of organized criminal networks in the region. Southeast Asia, particularly Cambodia and Myanmar, has become a major hub for such operations, where scams are run from fortified compounds using cryptocurrency and fake romantic lures. Some workers participate voluntarily, while others are victims of human trafficking. China, South Korea, and Taiwan suffered the most financial damage over the past two years.

The report noted that regional authorities have intensified crackdowns under pressure from the United States, the United Kingdom, and China. UNODC warned that these networks now operate globally, integrating money laundering, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, and data theft, posing a serious threat to regional security and economic stability.