Leave and enjoy SE Asia for a trip 😁

Yes, but some are kidnapped too! Its getting more common now so seems sensible to to be extra wary if you are doing a land crossing that's all if hanging around the boarders.

@Luit ****************

Human trafficking for forced labor in scam centers along Southeast Asia’s land borders is a significant and growing issue. While exact annual figures are challenging to determine due to the clandestine nature of these operations, estimates suggest that hundreds of thousands of individuals are trafficked into these centers each year.

Key Insights:

• Scale of Trafficking: Reports indicate that hundreds of thousands of people are trafficked by criminal gangs and forced to work in scam centers and other illegal online activities in Southeast Asia. 

• Financial Impact: Organized crime rings are generating close to $3 trillion in illicit revenue annually through human trafficking-fueled fraud in Southeast Asia. 

• Regional Hotspots: Countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos are identified as hotspots for these scam centers, with significant involvement from Chinese criminal networks. 

Understanding the Operations:

Victims are often lured by false promises of employment opportunities, only to find themselves trapped in guarded compounds where they are forced to work extensive hours, sometimes up to 20 hours a day, six days a week. Their tasks typically involve engaging individuals on social media and dating apps to persuade them to invest in fraudulent schemes, such as cryptocurrency scams. Those who fail to meet targets or attempt to escape face severe punishments, including torture and other forms of violence. 

Challenges in Addressing the Issue:

The clandestine nature of these operations, combined with the involvement of organized crime syndicates, makes it difficult to obtain precise statistics. However, the scale of the problem is evident, with reports highlighting the extensive networks and the significant number of individuals affected.

Conclusion:

While exact numbers are hard to ascertain, it is clear that human trafficking for forced labor in scam centers along Southeast Asia’s land borders is a severe and escalating issue, affecting hundreds of thousands of individuals annually. Addressing this crisis requires coordinated international efforts to dismantle these criminal networks and provide support and rehabilitation for the victims.

Anonymous participant that’s fine probably. Just careful on your own.

@John ******

getting worse too, 100’s of thousands are kidnapped yearly now to work in scam centers.

Don’t do land crossings you know loads of people get kidnapped to work in scam call centers. No joke. And to save a few hundred baht. Madness.

Pollution is bad enough or avoid ho cho min if possible. I think da nang a bit better but if not bothered either.

@Luit ****************

so insightful.

I have in uk pounds too. I also have well over. Maybe they need it in US dollars but it should be ok?!

There’s a limit to how long you can afford to stay in hotels just waiting. I’m in the same boat and it’s a little frustrating.