AP Finds US Tech Powers $200 Billion Scam Industry as Starlink Stays No. 1 in Myanmar
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Jun 30
AP Finds US Tech Powers $200 Billion Scam Industry as Starlink Stays No. 1 in Myanmar
3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Jun 30
Summary
$200 billion in 2024 U.S. scam losses frame an AP/FRONTLINE investigation that found American AI, internet infrastructure and Starlink underpin industrial-scale fraud run from Myanmar and other Southeast Asian compounds.
ChatGPT and Google Gemini were embedded in scam software that helped operators work across dozens of languages, automate replies and build fake personas; blockchain analysis tied users of those tools to tens of millions of dollars in proceeds.
One in five device signals from four Myanmar scam compounds linked to sanctioned entities traveled through U.S.-registered providers, including Cogent, Oracle, AT&T and DigitalOcean, according to AP's review of more than 200,000 connections.
Starlink remained Myanmar's top internet provider despite a previous cutoff of 2,500 kits near scam hubs; AP said at least 25 new scam sites have been built and at least 13 used Starlink.
The companies said they respond to abuse reports and work with law enforcement, but watchdogs said weak U.S. legal and business incentives leave tougher anti-scam obligations to regulators in the UK, EU, Australia and Singapore.
US tech fuels Myanmar's brutal scam industry. Can the companies enabling this crisis be compelled to stop it?
AI-powered scams and modern slavery merge in Myanmar. Where does corporate responsibility end and a national security threat begin?
With AI creating super-scammers in remote jungles, is technology outpacing our ability to control its dark side?
Starlink’s Double-Edged Sword: Enabling $10 Billion in Online Scams and Human Rights Abuses in Myanmar
Overview
Myanmar has become a major center for large-scale online scam operations, known as 'fraud factories.' These scams are typically managed by Chinese criminal syndicates, protected by Myanmar militias, and allowed by the Myanmar junta. Inside these compounds, workers are forced to carry out scams using detailed scripts on digital platforms, often targeting Americans with promises of cryptocurrency gains. The scams have caused billions in losses, especially in the United States. This crisis is made worse by the use of Starlink satellite internet, which enables these operations in remote areas where traditional communication is unavailable.