Cybercrime's Human Trafficking Problem

Coerced Labor in Scam Compounds Is Reshaping How Enterprises Face Fraud Risks Maryam Shoraka • May 8, 2026

Enterprise security discussions tend to focus on threat actors in technical terms. We talk about ransomware groups, business email compromise networks and investment fraud operations as if they are simply organized teams of criminals operating from behind keyboards.

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But that view no longer captures the full picture.

A growing body of reporting and law enforcement activity shows that many large-scale fraud operations, particularly those targeting Western enterprises, are run from compounds in parts of Southeast Asia where much of the workforce is not there by choice. Individuals are trafficked, coerced or deceived into traveling to locations in ...