$114 billion in losses from scam networks in Asia: cryptocurrencies and AI have become the main weapons
In 2025, losses from scam operations in East and Southeast Asia, as well as Australia and New Zealand, reached a staggering $88.3–114.1 billion. These are not just numbers — they are a marker of a systemic transformation of the criminal economy, where traditional fraud schemes have merged with technological infrastructure.
The assessment methodology takes into account both officially recorded losses and the estimated share of unreported cases, making the figures approximate but highly indicative. For comparison, in 2023, losses in the same subregions were estimated at $18–37 billion. Thus, over two years, the figure has roughly tripled, indicating a large-scale industrialization of fraud.
Among countries with the highest official losses for 2024–2025, China ($5.1 billion), the Republic of Korea ($3.5 billion), and Taiwan ($2.8 billion) lead. However, the actual figures are likely significantly higher, as many victims prefer not to contact authorities.
Criminal Networks: From Fragmented Groups to Cross-Border Corporations
A restructuring of the regional criminal economy has occurred. Fragmented syndicates have transformed into a single cross-border network with shared infrastructure for fraud, money laundering, human trafficking, and illegal migrant smuggling. This model resembles corporate franchising, where specialized "departments" for money laundering, data collection, and human trafficking are connected to one service network. The scale and complexity of this criminal economy already outpace existing countermeasures.
Cryptocurrencies: The New Settlement Infrastructure of Crime
Special attention in the report is given to the role of cryptocurrencies, primarily the USDT stablecoin on the TRON network. This combination has created a parallel financial system for nearly instant, cheap, and pseudonymous cross-border transfers. Through P2P platforms and over-the-counter brokers, criminal groups easily convert fiat into stablecoins and back, bypassing bank controls. Simply disrupting operations is insufficient — it is necessary to train law enforcement to track and confiscate crypto assets, otherwise the networks' revenues will remain out of reach.
AI and Satellite Communications: A New Level of Threats
Criminal groups actively use generative AI, deepfakes, and satellite internet, including Starlink. Generative AI lowers the barrier for complex fraud schemes: small groups can now use AI translation, voice cloning, and real-time deepfake video. The use of legitimate advertising networks to distribute malware has increased by 42% year-over-year. Satellite internet allows attackers to be less dependent on local operators and operate in hard-to-reach areas.
Global Recruitment: Scam Centers Seek Employees Worldwide
People from at least 80 countries have been identified in the region's scam compounds. Recruitment networks are expanding their geographic search: advertisements require knowledge of German, Polish, Spanish, French, and other languages. This shows that the risk of forced criminal activity extends far beyond Asia.
My professional opinion: The UNODC data is just the tip of the iceberg. The cryptocurrency market, especially with the dominance of USDT, has become an ideal tool for money laundering, and the development of AI and satellite communications only accelerates this process. Investors should be extremely cautious: if you see promises of "easy money" or use P2P platforms without proper verification, you risk becoming part of this massive criminal machine. Without global coordination among law enforcement and stricter KYC/AML at the blockchain level, we will only see these numbers grow.