DOJ Indictment of Scammers in Southeast Asia Unveils the Use of Enslaved Labor in Organized Crime Throughout the Region

In late April 2026, the United States (U.S.) Department of Justice (DOJ) unveiled charges against two Chinese nationals for their role in managing scam centers across the Thai-Burmese border region and Cambodia. The scammers mainly targeted Americans by convincing them to invest in fraudulent cryptocurrency portfolios that promised high returns or by impersonating law enforcement, often demanding a sum of money from the victims.