Asia-Pacific scam losses hit $114B in 2025

The International — United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released a report on July 21, 2026, estimating that scam losses across East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand reached between $88.3 billion and $114.1 billion in 2025, at least tripling from 2023. The report highlights that transnational crime syndicates, primarily of Chinese origin operating from Southeast Asia, are rapidly evolving by adopting AI, expanding recruitment beyond Asia, and relocating operations to jurisdictions with weak governance such as Timor-Leste, Pacific islands, and Africa. Corruption is identified as the primary enabler. The scams include fake romance and cryptocurrency investment schemes, often run from fortified compounds staffed by trafficked foreign nationals. Individuals from at least 80 countries have been identified in these compounds. The report warns that agentic AI systems will soon autonomously identify victims and facilitate cryptocurrency theft. The criminal ecosystem now includes money laundering, human trafficking, and data trading. China, South Korea, and Taiwan reported the largest losses. Despite crackdowns by the US, UK, and China, and extraditions from Cambodia to China, operations persist and adapt.