Global implications of scam centres and cybercrime in the Mekong reach inflection point
Schedule
Mon, 21 Apr, 2025 at 07:00 pm
Location
518/5 Ploenchit Road, Maneeya Center, Penthouse, Bangkok, Thailand, Bangkok 10330 | Bangkok, BM
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Transnational organized crime groups in East and Southeast Asia have emerged as global market leaders in cyber-enabled fraud, money laundering and underground banking. Probably, the most important factor enabling the exponential growth of organized crime groups in the region is the proliferation of industrial-scale scam centres. But these are reaching an inflection point. Amidst heightened awareness and enforcement action taken to address the threat, Asian crime syndicates have sought to hedge their risk and ensure business continuity by expanding operations deeper into many of the most remote, vulnerable, and underprepared parts of the region – and beyond.
This trend has been consistent with continued reports of crackdowns targeting Asian-led scam centres with major ties to networks based in Southeast Asia, including those found operating in Africa, South Asia, the Middle East, and the Pacific islands. These centres have also been identified for money laundering, human trafficking, and recruitment services that go as far as Europe, North America, and South America.
How these criminal groups expand their operations will have global implications as the technology and infrastructure enabling their development continuously changes and develops.
This panel will bring together experts on transnational organized crime, cryptocurrency and technological innovation within the regional criminal ecosystem to discuss the evolving challenges and threats, and to examine the outlook for the coming years.
Speakers include:
Benedikt Hofmann, Deputy Regional Representative, UNODC Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
John Wojcik, Regional Analyst, Organized Crime and Threat Monitoring, UNODC Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
Jennifer Soh, cyber investigation lead, Group-IB.
Royal Thai Police Central Investigation Bureau, speaker TBC
Moderator: Laura Gil, Head of Communications, UNODC Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
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Where is it happening?
518/5 Ploenchit Road, Maneeya Center, Penthouse, Bangkok, Thailand, Bangkok 10330Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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