The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday said it had assisted more than 3,500 victims of trafficking for forced criminality across South-East Asia, from 39 countries, with the largest numbers originating from Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Bangladesh between 2022 and 2025.
Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide have been trafficked by criminal networks and forced to participate in online scams in a multibillion-dollar criminal industry, it warned ahead of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons to be observed on July 30 under the theme "Trapped Behind the Scam."
To strengthen its response, IOM called for continued support to assist victims of trafficking through protection, safe return and reintegration, while scaling up efforts to raise awareness of traffickers’ tactics so that people can recognise risks and know where to seek help.
Trafficked victims are often lured by fake job ads promising legitimate work abroad. Once they arrive, many are locked inside compounds, stripped of their documents, subjected to constant surveillance, and forced through violence, threats and debt bondage to carry out online scam operations targeting people worldwide.
Survivors report enduring torture, sexual abuse, starvation and solitary confinement, IOM said.
"People trapped in scam compounds are victims of trafficking, forced to commit crimes through violence, threats and coercion. They deserve protection, not punishment," said IOM Director General Amy Pope. "We must work together to support survivors, stop traffickers and close the gaps these criminal networks exploit. No country can tackle this alone."
The scale of the crime is staggering. New United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) data estimates combined annual losses from scam offences across East Asia, South-East Asia, Australia, and New Zealand are between US$ 88.3 billion and $ 114.1 billion for 2025 alone, much of it tied to organised crime, and scam compounds across the region are believed to hold hundreds of thousands of trafficked workers.
As trafficking in persons for forced criminality continues to expand across Asia and increasingly beyond the region, IOM has launched its new Regional Strategy Response to Trafficking in Persons for Forced Criminality in Asia and the Pacific (2026-2030).
The strategy outlines IOM's vision for addressing one of the fastest-growing forms of human trafficking, with a strong focus on victim protection, prevention, cross-border cooperation and stronger partnerships to disrupt trafficking networks.
The message at the heart of this year's campaign is clear: people forced to commit crimes inside scam centres are victims of trafficking, not criminals, and should be protected, not punished.
Rescue is only the first step. Survivors often face severe trauma, stigma, debt, missing identity documents and the fear of prosecution, requiring sustained support to return home safely and rebuild their lives.
IOM's response includes identifying victims, referring them to protection services, providing direct assistance, coordinating with consular authorities, supporting safe return and reintegration, and working with governments and law enforcement partners to strengthen victim identification, cross-border cooperation and accountability for traffickers.