Global Anti-Scam Organization

Thank you to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) for bringing attention to the volunteers and organisations fighting the cyber-slavery scam operations in Southeast Asia. Our Founder and Director Mina Chiang was featured in this article by Will Jackson. Troy Gochenour, a member of the Global Anti-Scam Organization (GASO), shared his experience of being scammed and discussed GASOs work, which includes raising awareness of scams and providing crucial information to law enforcement. Despite the challenges that GASO faces, they have managed to assist hundreds of trafficking victims. Mina spoke about the lack of action from governments in countries where scamming operations are active, and from the governments of trafficking victims’ origin countries. Jacob Sims, a former advisor to the anti-trafficking NGO International Justice Mission, shared his obervation that governments in the region deny the extent of human trafficking in the cyber scam operations. We invite you to read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/gPsaaMzg #humantrafficking #cyberslavery #volunteers

The new edition of ACAMS Today magazine is out with several interesting articles focused on cryptocurrency-related matters. I am pleased to share mine which focuses on a major and topical issue which is pig butchering scams. In this article, I provide an overview of the money laundering techniques that generally occur in pig butchering schemes, namely: ·     Laundering via decentralized cryptoasset exchanges ·     Laundering of stablecoins ·     Laundering via Tokenlon: Swaps and cross-chain bridges ·     Laundering through money mules and money-mule accounts ·     The use of false or stolen identifying information In addition, there are additional challenges such as the pseudonymous nature of cryptoassets and how fast the money moves and is being laundered across jurisdictions. By the time victims report their cases, the money has already moved and been laundered; as a result, this is a race against time. Law enforcement’s power outside of their jurisdiction may be limited, as well as their ability to cooperate with their foreign counterparts for various reasons or with noncompliant, unregulated crypto-asset service providers that may turn a blind eye to this type of activity or choose jurisdictions allowing them to take advantage of legal loopholes. It is also worth noting that these large-scale scam operations run in some jurisdictions and regions rife with corruption where organized crime groups are working with or backed by local authorities and officials. I hope you enjoy reading and learn something new! If you want to learn more about this critical issue, do not hesitate to reach out. I can refer you to detailed publications. Link: https://lnkd.in/eTVBKkkx Views are my own. #acams #aml #amlcompliance #crypto #cybercrime #fraud #humantrafficking #modernslavery #pigbutchering #scams

In light of the recent news from Lithuanian authorities, Eurojust and the viral ACAMS’ post among the Lithuanian AML community (link in comments), here is a post about how the Lithuanian fintech infrastructure is attractive for organized crime groups based on my observations and personal experience. Although pig butchering scams may not impact Lithuania as much as other countries from the Global North like the United States, there has been multiple instances of criminals leveraging the Lithuanian fintech infrastructure to open bank accounts within relatively new and small financial institutions without robust AML frameworks. In the first screenshot, you can see a customer service line at a fake cryptoasset exchange requiring the victim to wire money at a Lithuanian fintech company. These accounts are often money mule accounts. While money mules are not directly involved in the crime that generates the money, they facilitate the laundering of the proceeds of the crime and ultimately help criminals remain anonymous while moving funds. According to the Global Anti-Scam Organization, several victims reported having lost a combined total loss of several hundred thousand euros partly wired via accounts set up in Lithuania. Some of these were held at Transactive Systems UAB, for example, which saw its licensed revoked by the Bank of Lithuania last year for seriously and systematically infringing AML requirements (link in comments). In the scam industry, task scams is a relatively new form of scam that is targeting the European continent. In fact, you may already have been contacted by a random and unknown number offering you a remote job opportunity consisting of performing some tasks like watching videos, liking social media posts, or creating orders on marketplaces online. Based on a study from Humanity Research Consultancy, there appears to be some connections between pig butchering scams and task scams. In the second screenshot, you can see a discussion with a scammer involved in a task scam asking which Lithuanian fintech company the interlocutor uses and also insisting that the bank account should be located in a Lithuanian fintech company. To learn more about red flag indicators related to money mules, you can refer to my latest article on ACAMS Today via the link below. https://lnkd.in/eC3KbM_B Views are my own. #acams #aml #amlcompliance #crypto #cybercrime #fraud #humanrights #humantrafficking #lithuania #mekong #modernslavery #scams

I am glad to share a list of red flag indicators that can help victims, law enforcement and anti-financial crime (AFC) professionals to understand pig butchering scams and better identify them. This list is a companion piece to my upcoming ACAMS Today article on the money laundering techniques used in pig butchering scams. This piece provides a comprehensive list of red flag indicators pertaining to victims during the financial grooming process as well as red flag indicators related to the financial and money laundering aspects of pig butchering scams, which can be identified at different levels and stages of the scam and money laundering process. The pig butchering scam industry is earning organized crime groups the equivalent of billions of U.S. dollars. This criminal activity is so prevalent in Southeast Asia that the multibillion-dollar profits are even rivaling the gross domestic product (GDP) of some Southeast Asian countries. It is therefore crucial for law enforcement and AFC professionals to educate themselves on this major transnational crime that can leave victims in a state of financial ruin and result in emotional trauma. Views are my own. #acams #aml #amlcompliance #crypto #cybercrime #fraud #humanrights #humantrafficking #mekong #modernslavery #scams

The Global Anti-Scam Organization is proud to share that we have contributed to the latest DW’s investigative documentary on one of the most notorious cyber-scam compounds located in Myanmar and the Chinese organized crime groups behind it. The documentary investigates a compound called KK Park situated on the Myanmar-Thai border, which serves as a hub for an extensive scam operation victimizing people globally. Thousands of individuals, trafficked into KK Park under false pretenses, are coerced into criminal activities, primarily scamming people worldwide. Survivors report grueling conditions, including surveillance, torture, and even weekly murders within the compound. The satellite imagery GASO provided to DW reveals the growth of KK Park since its construction began in 2020. The compound is guarded by members of the official Border Guard Force from Myanmar, which is composed of former rebels who made a pact with the junta, while the leadership behind the operation is allegedly Chinese. The documentary also suggests a connection between the region where KK Park is located and China's Belt and Road Initiative investments, although the compound itself is purpose-built for scamming and not officially acknowledged in Chinese communications. DW highlights that KK Park's scamming operations trace back to a complex network of businesses and associations used by criminals to legitimize their crimes and launder millions in defrauded assets – and that network continues to expand from Southeast Asia to Africa, Europe and North America. #aml #china #cyberscam #fraud #humantrafficking #lawenforcement #modernslavery #myanmar #pigbutcheringscam #scam

Happy New Year! 🎉 HRC is pleased to welcome you into 2024 with the release of our 2022-23 Impact Report! HRC’s 4th year (Oct 22-Sep 23) was certainly eventful. We have seen our team grow, formed meaningful and lasting collaborations with partner organisations, and conducted key research into emerging and growing forms of human trafficking. This past year we have focused our expertise in the following areas: •Ending slavery in the fraud compounds: We have released various publications on the topic; engaged with multiple media sources from around the world; conducted research on transnational criminal networks for the United States Institute of Peace (USIP); collaborated with numerous stakeholders such as the National Police Agency in Taiwan, Global Anti-Scam Organization (GASO), International Justice Mission (IJM), Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative (@TeamATII) , and The Mekong Club; and presented at several international conferences alongside UNODC, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and INTERPOL. •Improving human rights in the fishing industry: The “Wi-Fi Now For Fishers’ Rights!” campaign has continued to grow in collaboration with Global Labor Justice - International Labor Rights Forum (GLJ-ILRF) and key partners. Meanwhile, our projects with Winrock International, funded by USAID Asia CTIP, and Conservation International, among others, look to increase transparency in the fishing supply chain. •Knowledge generation on survivor experience and agency: We have continued to advocate for centering survivor-voices in the counter trafficking field, and strived to empower survivors to become leaders in this sector. Notably, we have worked with ANIRBAN, a survivor network organisation in Bangladesh, in a collaborative research project to generate knowledge on survivor organising, funded by USAID Asia CTIP in partnership with Winrock International. Read our Impact Report for more details on our efforts in other key areas such as ‘Engaging Local Talent’, ‘Global Supply Chains and Corporate Responsibility’, and ‘Humanitarian Action’, along with testimonies from survivors and consultants we worked with, here: https://lnkd.in/ddkb5YMZ With over 50 million people remaining in modern slavery today, we will continue to share our knowledge and expertise to combat this heinous crime, working with local experts to generate evidence-based solutions. No one entity can tackle this problem alone, and we are grateful to all the individuals and organisations across the globe that are joining us on this journey towards a world free from modern slavery. Thank you to all the fellow change makers and we look forward to continuing our work in 2024 and beyond. #humantrafficking #impact #survivors

The UK, US and Canada announced a package of sanctions targeting individuals linked to human rights abuses around the world, ahead of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December. On December 8, 2023, the UK announced a total of 46 sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans. Among the sanctioned entities are 9 individuals and 5 entities who have been involved in trafficking people in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. Victims are usually innocent job seekers attracted by promises of well-paid and legitimate work across Southeast Asia, lured by criminal syndicates and then forced to commit cyber-enabled financial crime on an industrial scale. These young men and women are imprisoned in horrifying conditions and detained in prisonlike compounds from which they run online scams targeting other countries, which are referred to as “pig butchering” scams. Victims can be subject to torture or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. The UN estimates at least 120,000 people in Myanmar alone are being forced to work for such schemes. The 14 sanctioned entities involved in trafficking people for conducting pig butchering scams are the following: Zhao Wei Su Guiqin Nat Rungtawankhiri  Abbas Eberahim  Zhijiang She  Colonel Saw Chit Thu  Colonel Saw Min Min Oo  ZhengHeng Group Co Ltd  Heng He Casino  K.B Hotel   Pacific Real Estate Management Co.  Hum Sovanny  Dong Lecheng  Golden Sun Sky Entertainment Co., Ltd. Some of the benefits of these sanctions is that they are viewed as a cost-effective and swift alternative to prosecuting criminal networks through court cases, with a lower burden of proof. Sanctions also offer tangible consequences for criminals involved in transnational organized crime, such as frozen assets, travel bans, and restrictions on trading activities. #aml #cyberscam #fraud #humantrafficking #lawenforcement #modernslavery #pigbutcheringscam #sanctions #scam

What, exactly, is a "scam compound" and where are these things located? As I explain in this episode of Slate Magazine's "What Next TBD" podcast, a corridor of shady casinos in remote parts of Southeast Asia are fueling a global #scamdemic. Listen to our discussion to hear more about why casinos play such a central role in enabling this illicit industry to grow and the #moneylaundering strategies that allow criminal syndicates to steal billions from people around the world. Thanks Lizzie OLeary for having me on the show. https://lnkd.in/gfFpVP6J

We are proud to share that Frank Kamugisha, HRC’s Survivor Empowerment Intern, has written about his experience as a survivor of human trafficking in the fraud compounds. In this blog, Frank explains his entrapment, the inhumane treatment inside the fraud compounds, and how the scams he was forced to do are carried out. He was resold multiple times, and tortured physically, mentally, and socially. Following the intervention and support of HRC, International Justice Mission, IOM - UN Migration, Village Focus International, INTERPOL, Laos Women and Orphans Empowerment Center, Global Anti-Scam Organization, Laos anti trafficking Police, and other organisations, Frank is now free. He is using his freedom to help others that have been enslaved in the fraud compounds. We invite you to learn more about Frank's journey here: https://lnkd.in/ezMgbjVC Thank you, Frank, for sharing your story with us. #survivorstories #survivorempowerment #freedom

Earlier this week, Tether announced the largest-ever freeze of USDT, followed by the seizure of proceeds from pig butchering scams by the Justice Department yesterday. Tether.to and cryptoasset exchange OKX collaborated with the U.S. Department of Justice in an investigation that led to the proactive freezing of approximately 225 million USDT tokens in wallets linked to an international human trafficking syndicate involved in pig butchering scams and located in Southeast Asia. This collaboration enabled The Justice Department to successfully seize nearly $9 million worth of Tether. The U.S. Secret Service traced these funds to cryptocurrency addresses belonging to a group of scammers who targeted over 70 victims across the United States. According to court documents, the scammers deceived victims into investing money in fake trading platforms under the scammers’ control. The criminals also quickly laundered the funds through a series of cryptocurrency addresses converted for other cryptocurrencies to obfuscate the trail of funds. This type of collaboration showcases how cryptocurrency industry players can work with law enforcement to effectively tackle pig butchering scams and protect the financial security of the cryptocurrency ecosystem. We would like to remind you that if you are a victim or you know a victim of a pig butchering scam (or any other type of online scam), you can file a report with the The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov and with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov. In your IC3 report, you can reference “Pig Butchering PSA” and include as much information as possible including names of investment platforms, cryptocurrency addresses and transaction hashes, bank accounts information, and names and contact information of suspected scammers. #aml #cryptocurrency #doj #cyberscam #fraud #humantrafficking #lawenforcement #modernslavery #okx #pigbutcheringscam #secretservice #scam #tether #usdt