A growing international cybercrime ecosystem is exploiting vulnerable individuals while also trapping many of its own perpetrators in conditions resembling modern slavery, according to investigative reporting and expert analyses.
These online scam operations — often referred to as “scam centers” — target victims who are frequently poor, isolated, or emotionally vulnerable, luring them with promises of financial opportunity or romantic connection. Once trust is established, victims are manipulated into transferring money, often through increasingly sophisticated digital fraud techniques enhanced by artificial intelligence.
However, the system behind these scams is far more complex than simple criminal networks. Many of the so-called “scammers” are themselves victims of trafficking. Recruited under false promises of legitimate work, they are reportedly forced into scam compounds where their passports are confiscated, their movements controlled, and in some cases, they are subjected to threats, violence, and abuse if they fail to meet financial targets.
Investigations suggest that hundreds of thousands of people from dozens of countries may be involved in or trapped by these operations, which are largely concentrated in parts of Southeast Asia, but increasingly also appear in regions of North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, and Madagascar.
A reported total of hundreds of billions of euros has been lost to such fraud schemes globally in recent years, with France frequently cited as a key target of these cybercriminal networks.
Governments across several countries have launched coordinated crackdowns on these transnational criminal groups, which operate like highly structured businesses with global reach and layered hierarchies.
According to testimony shared with the French newspaper Libération, some escaped individuals describe these environments as coercive systems of forced labor, where leaving is extremely difficult.
Authorities and experts warn that artificial intelligence is making these scams more convincing and scalable, increasing the difficulty of detection and prevention.
Despite the scale of the problem, specialists stress that reporting these crimes remains essential, both to support investigations and to reduce the stigma experienced by victims who often feel shame after being deceived or manipulated into participating in fraudulent schemes.
