Myanmar scam centres still targeting Americans

The Irrawaddy

Deep in Myanmar’s Karen State, new scam compounds are springing up despite international crackdowns, with American citizens remaining the prime targets.

An investigation by The Irrawaddy found that more than 83 per cent of recruitment ads posted by scam operators over three months were aimed at defrauding U.S. victims. These centres, often hidden in jungle villages, employ hundreds of young workers tasked with “U.S. Chatting” – building fake online relationships before steering victims into fraudulent investments.

The scams are highly organised. Workers scrape social media profiles, chat with victims on WhatsApp and Telegram, and even deploy “real models” for video calls to make fake identities more convincing. Once trust is secured, victims are funnelled into bogus trading platforms where their money is siphoned away.

Despite Myanmar’s military regime claiming to have demolished compounds and arrested thousands of low‑level staff, analysts say the crackdowns are largely performative. Syndicate bosses escape, while new centres quickly relocate inland to areas controlled by armed groups allied with the junta.

Washington has responded with sanctions against militia leaders and by seizing cryptocurrency linked to scam operations. Yet experts warn the fraud industry is evolving, now targeting niche demographics in the U.S., expanding into Europe, and recruiting Spanish speakers to reach victims across Latin America.

Jason Tower of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime described the trend as “Scams 3.0” – jungle enclaves that can operate almost anywhere under military protection. He warned that Myanmar’s political climate, dominated by coup leader Min Aung Hlaing, continues to provide fertile ground for cybercrime.

For victims, the consequences are devastating. U.S. authorities estimate Americans lose $10 billion annually to scams originating from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. Canadian officials report similar losses, while European victims are increasingly being drawn into long‑term fraudulent schemes.

With scam centres multiplying and adapting, the challenge for law enforcement is immense. As Tower put it, “A vicious cycle has taken hold in the country.”

-2026-09-21