Hello fediverse friends.
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Hello fediverse friends.
For The Globe and Mail newspaper, I've spent the last four months hearing from survivors of Myanmar's infamous scam compounds. Run by Chinese criminal syndicates with the collaboration of at least one Burmese pro-junta militia, the camps are staffed by trafficking victims, including a growing number of Africans who are beaten, electrocuted and raped if they don't meet scamming targets. They aren't paid for their efforts.
My story is published.
Africans are being confined and beaten in scam camps in Myanmar
Migrants toil for long hours on social-media platforms, targeting people with crypto and romance scams
The Globe and Mail (www.theglobeandmail.com)
Since 2021, a coup induced civil war, and the pandemic have created a booming scamming industry based out of Myanmar. Hundreds of scam compounds have since sprouted up, typically along the Burmese-Thai border. They target westerners with cryptocurrency and romance scams. But they are staffed by trafficked people from across Asia and Africa, who travel to Thailand believing they will be hired at well paying tech jobs in Bangkok...before being driven across the border where their ordeal begins.
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Hello fediverse friends.
For The Globe and Mail newspaper, I've spent the last four months hearing from survivors of Myanmar's infamous scam compounds. Run by Chinese criminal syndicates with the collaboration of at least one Burmese pro-junta militia, the camps are staffed by trafficking victims, including a growing number of Africans who are beaten, electrocuted and raped if they don't meet scamming targets. They aren't paid for their efforts.
My story is published.
Africans are being confined and beaten in scam camps in Myanmar
Migrants toil for long hours on social-media platforms, targeting people with crypto and romance scams
The Globe and Mail (www.theglobeandmail.com)
@ZekuZelalem
I love when you drop big stories like this.
Good work! -
Since 2021, a coup induced civil war, and the pandemic have created a booming scamming industry based out of Myanmar. Hundreds of scam compounds have since sprouted up, typically along the Burmese-Thai border. They target westerners with cryptocurrency and romance scams. But they are staffed by trafficked people from across Asia and Africa, who travel to Thailand believing they will be hired at well paying tech jobs in Bangkok...before being driven across the border where their ordeal begins.
Chinese scam camp operators in Myanmar have tortured and even murdered victims. But Meseret Mulu, a 27 year old Ethiopian woman, told me that at one point, the criminals brought in fighters from the DKBA (Democratic Karen Benevolent Army), a Burmese militia group allied with the junta...to come in and torture her, by stripping her naked and forcing her to spend hours in searing heat.
Warring factions take a cut to allow Chinese mafia gangs to open camps in their territory.
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Chinese scam camp operators in Myanmar have tortured and even murdered victims. But Meseret Mulu, a 27 year old Ethiopian woman, told me that at one point, the criminals brought in fighters from the DKBA (Democratic Karen Benevolent Army), a Burmese militia group allied with the junta...to come in and torture her, by stripping her naked and forcing her to spend hours in searing heat.
Warring factions take a cut to allow Chinese mafia gangs to open camps in their territory.
The criminals operate in Myanmar, because it's too dangerous for them to do so in China. Last month, 11 Chinese operators of Burmese scam camps were executed in China.
Thailand tries to curb activities, including by shutting off internet to border villages where the scam camps are located.
How have the criminals reconnected to the web in response to this? Via good old Elon Musk. Starlink is among the biggest internet providers to Southeast Asian scamming compounds.
China executes 11 members of Myanmar scam mafia
China executes 11 members of the Ming family that ran scam centres in Myanmar, state media report.
(www.bbc.com)
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The criminals operate in Myanmar, because it's too dangerous for them to do so in China. Last month, 11 Chinese operators of Burmese scam camps were executed in China.
Thailand tries to curb activities, including by shutting off internet to border villages where the scam camps are located.
How have the criminals reconnected to the web in response to this? Via good old Elon Musk. Starlink is among the biggest internet providers to Southeast Asian scamming compounds.
China executes 11 members of Myanmar scam mafia
China executes 11 members of the Ming family that ran scam centres in Myanmar, state media report.
(www.bbc.com)
-
The criminals operate in Myanmar, because it's too dangerous for them to do so in China. Last month, 11 Chinese operators of Burmese scam camps were executed in China.
Thailand tries to curb activities, including by shutting off internet to border villages where the scam camps are located.
How have the criminals reconnected to the web in response to this? Via good old Elon Musk. Starlink is among the biggest internet providers to Southeast Asian scamming compounds.
China executes 11 members of Myanmar scam mafia
China executes 11 members of the Ming family that ran scam centres in Myanmar, state media report.
(www.bbc.com)
India, the Philippines and China are prompt to repatriate their nationals. But African states do not do so. As such, Africans are becoming disproportionately targeted by Chinese criminal orgs knowing that little will be done to rescue them.
Africans who escape Myanmar can expect to spend lengthy stints in Thai immigration jail until they get the money for airfare/fines.
The UN itself is low on money, & issued a call last year for some $2.5M to fly home 1,000 survivors.
https://roasiapacific.iom.int/news/iom-urgently-seeks-usd-25-million-repatriate-victims-trafficking-forced-criminality-stranded-along-thai-myanmar-border -
India, the Philippines and China are prompt to repatriate their nationals. But African states do not do so. As such, Africans are becoming disproportionately targeted by Chinese criminal orgs knowing that little will be done to rescue them.
Africans who escape Myanmar can expect to spend lengthy stints in Thai immigration jail until they get the money for airfare/fines.
The UN itself is low on money, & issued a call last year for some $2.5M to fly home 1,000 survivors.
https://roasiapacific.iom.int/news/iom-urgently-seeks-usd-25-million-repatriate-victims-trafficking-forced-criminality-stranded-along-thai-myanmar-borderHere are some samples of AI generated ads used by criminals in Myanmar to prey on desperate, unemployed job seekers across Asia and Africa. "Typing speed" is a giveaway, they want people who can learn preprepared scam scripts with ease. The always pretend the job is in Thailand or Cambodia, knowing that nobody would agree to travel to war-torn Myanmar. The ordeal begins when they are picked up at airports in these countries...then driven into Myanmar. Meta and Telegram are part of the problem.
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Here are some samples of AI generated ads used by criminals in Myanmar to prey on desperate, unemployed job seekers across Asia and Africa. "Typing speed" is a giveaway, they want people who can learn preprepared scam scripts with ease. The always pretend the job is in Thailand or Cambodia, knowing that nobody would agree to travel to war-torn Myanmar. The ordeal begins when they are picked up at airports in these countries...then driven into Myanmar. Meta and Telegram are part of the problem.
The UN estimates that over 120,000 people have been trafficked to scam camps in Myanmar since 2021, and endured various forms of exploitation and torture. It has become a billion dollar industry, with the scams targeting vulnerable people in Europe and North America.
Thai NGOs meanwhile, bravely coordinate rescues, negotiate with border guards to arrange the transfer of victims back to Thailand. But they are swamped and have limited means.
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The UN estimates that over 120,000 people have been trafficked to scam camps in Myanmar since 2021, and endured various forms of exploitation and torture. It has become a billion dollar industry, with the scams targeting vulnerable people in Europe and North America.
Thai NGOs meanwhile, bravely coordinate rescues, negotiate with border guards to arrange the transfer of victims back to Thailand. But they are swamped and have limited means.
If you're in the western world, learn more about what's behind the spammy, sometimes flirty, text messages from unknown numbers crowding up your Messages app. In Canada, it is very common and receiving daily scam texts isn't unheard of for many people.
If you're in Africa, warn friends and family about the dangers of job offers from Southeast Asia that seem too good to be true. Murders have been reported at these camps. Social media companies will not act or remove posts, so spread the word!
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If you're in the western world, learn more about what's behind the spammy, sometimes flirty, text messages from unknown numbers crowding up your Messages app. In Canada, it is very common and receiving daily scam texts isn't unheard of for many people.
If you're in Africa, warn friends and family about the dangers of job offers from Southeast Asia that seem too good to be true. Murders have been reported at these camps. Social media companies will not act or remove posts, so spread the word!
And If you're in Africa, warn friends and family about the dangers of job offers from Russia that seem too good to be true. You’ll end up as cannon fodder.
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If you're in the western world, learn more about what's behind the spammy, sometimes flirty, text messages from unknown numbers crowding up your Messages app. In Canada, it is very common and receiving daily scam texts isn't unheard of for many people.
If you're in Africa, warn friends and family about the dangers of job offers from Southeast Asia that seem too good to be true. Murders have been reported at these camps. Social media companies will not act or remove posts, so spread the word!
While the degree of suffering differs, this phenomenon causes universal suffering to victims from around the world, from the US to Kenya, from the UK to Uganda.
Hope to share some more of my findings with you in the coming days. If you went through yet another long thread of mine all the way to thisnpoint, thank you your time is appreciated
Story dropped on Sunday. If you're in Canada, the story will be available in tomorrow morning's newspaper.
Yours,
-ZZ.
Africans are being confined and beaten in scam camps in Myanmar
Migrants toil for long hours on social-media platforms, targeting people with crypto and romance scams
The Globe and Mail (www.theglobeandmail.com)
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And If you're in Africa, warn friends and family about the dangers of job offers from Russia that seem too good to be true. You’ll end up as cannon fodder.
@VoordeMus well aware. Larry Madowo, great Kenyan journalist at CNN...has produced multiple reports on that topic in recent weeks.
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Here are some samples of AI generated ads used by criminals in Myanmar to prey on desperate, unemployed job seekers across Asia and Africa. "Typing speed" is a giveaway, they want people who can learn preprepared scam scripts with ease. The always pretend the job is in Thailand or Cambodia, knowing that nobody would agree to travel to war-torn Myanmar. The ordeal begins when they are picked up at airports in these countries...then driven into Myanmar. Meta and Telegram are part of the problem.
@ZekuZelalem I know it may be a ridiculous detail to focus on among the horror of the whole thing, but what's with the exceptions on the nationality?
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Since 2021, a coup induced civil war, and the pandemic have created a booming scamming industry based out of Myanmar. Hundreds of scam compounds have since sprouted up, typically along the Burmese-Thai border. They target westerners with cryptocurrency and romance scams. But they are staffed by trafficked people from across Asia and Africa, who travel to Thailand believing they will be hired at well paying tech jobs in Bangkok...before being driven across the border where their ordeal begins.
@ZekuZelalem what are your thoughts on meta's involvement in the coup?
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Here are some samples of AI generated ads used by criminals in Myanmar to prey on desperate, unemployed job seekers across Asia and Africa. "Typing speed" is a giveaway, they want people who can learn preprepared scam scripts with ease. The always pretend the job is in Thailand or Cambodia, knowing that nobody would agree to travel to war-torn Myanmar. The ordeal begins when they are picked up at airports in these countries...then driven into Myanmar. Meta and Telegram are part of the problem.
@ZekuZelalem now I'm curious about why they exclude for example Nigerians or Pakistanis
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@ZekuZelalem I know it may be a ridiculous detail to focus on among the horror of the whole thing, but what's with the exceptions on the nationality?
@oblomov I asked. In Cambodia, apparently authorities at the airport are very likely to follow and stop arriving Nigerians, Pakistanis and Ethiopians, because too many people of these nationalities have been trafficking victims. The criminals likely want to avoid certain nationalities to reduce the risk they face of getting followed, spotted and then jailed by Cambodian police on trafficking charges.
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@ZekuZelalem now I'm curious about why they exclude for example Nigerians or Pakistanis
@sabrinaweb71 I asked. In Cambodia, apparently authorities at the airport are very likely to follow, stop and question arriving Nigerians, Pakistanis and Ethiopians, because too many people of these nationalities have been trafficking victims. The criminals likely want to avoid certain nationalities to reduce the risk they face of getting followed, spotted and then jailed by Cambodian police on trafficking charges.
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@ZekuZelalem what are your thoughts on meta's involvement in the coup?
@MamaLake I'll be frank with you, I'm not as informed on Meta enabling the coup. I am aware of Meta's role however, in amplifying hate speech and facilitating genocide of the Rohingya in
years earlier -
@MamaLake I'll be frank with you, I'm not as informed on Meta enabling the coup. I am aware of Meta's role however, in amplifying hate speech and facilitating genocide of the Rohingya in
years earlier@ZekuZelalem thanks for that honesty, I've got a hunch that they've been stoking the fires for this for a long time.
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@ZekuZelalem
I love when you drop big stories like this.
Good work!@ohmu been a busy few months! Hope to drop a bombshell later this week...currently crossing ts...wrapping up
🤬
