UNODC warns of global spread of fraud industry in Southeast Asia, with annual revenue of nearly $40 billion

The report released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNCTAD) in April 2025 pointed out that Southeast Asia has formed a systematic and industrialized ecosystem of online fraud centers, with annual revenues reaching nearly $40 billion. Fraudsters have rapidly expanded to regions such as Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas through the use of special zones, casinos, and anonymous payment networks, utilizing blockchain, AI, and underground financial systems for global money laundering and fraud. The report emphasizes that illegal platforms such as Huione Guarantee have evolved into cross-border black industry infrastructure, receiving over $24 billion in cryptocurrency inflows. UNODC calls on global governments to strengthen regulation and cross-border cooperation to curb the spread of this transnational cybercrime system.