Bzzzz. Bzzzzz. Bzzzzz.
Your phone screen flashes: Unknown Number or Potential Spam. Do you pick up the phone? Many don’t, wary of the possible scammer calling. But what if, on the other end of the line, someone isn’t calling by choice, but at the threat of death? These hostages are trapped in a room, with continual dialing as their only escape.
This isn’t just some lousy “can I sell you solar panels” spam call. It’s part of a cruel criminal network being operated by gangsters from sophisticated facilities across Southeast Asia.
Countries located in Indochina are normally known for their natural beauty, rolling hills, beautiful beaches and stunning Buddhist architecture. Yet, they are also known for lawless civil war and gangsters. Just in the last few years, they have begun to harbour some of the most notorious scam compounds the world has ever known. Now, the online targets are US citizens.
Chances are, these cold call scams are operating out of high-tech compounds, potentially using artificial intelligence and sophisticated big data analysis. People from many different countries have been trafficked by triads, Chinese gangsters, all over the world, and forced to make these calls and conduct many other types of scams across social media platforms against their will.
These compounds function more like torture chambers than workplaces. The scammers are forced to meet strict quotas just to receive food and rest, often enduring grueling shifts from 10:30 AM to 2:00 AM. The expected daily target is $5,000, and failure to meet it results in brutal punishments, including electric shocks and severe beatings ordered by the triads. This industry is rapidly expanding, fueled by human exploitation, the rise of cryptocurrencies and the growing global use of the internet, for banking, romance and our daily lives. The dangers are immense, not only for the victims being scammed but also for those trapped inside these compounds, living under constant fear and abuse.
With a jagged history, Myanmar, as one example of an online scam location, is still recovering from severe political instability and a weakened government. Chinese “businessmen” exploited Myanmar’s situation and took advantage of an estimated 100,000 lives. Victims, often lured by fake job offers, have been kidnapped and forced into scam compounds throughout Indochina. On Feb. 23, 2025, the Burmese and Thai governments sent out a series of raids freeing over 7,000 people from these death centers. Many accounts have described near-death experiences as well as constant fear and torture implemented by the Chinese triads.
The origins of this “industry” can be traced back to the triads. These Chinese gangsters were forced out of China and began establishing compounds in lawless regions of Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. In Chinese, the phrase shu zhu pan is well known throughout history. The word translates to “pig butchering.” Online fraudsters build close and intimate relationships with victims, often using fake profiles, to lure them into investing large sums of money in fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes. Like pigs, they “fatten up” the victim before ultimately scamming them and destroying their lives.
But why cryptocurrency? Once scammers build a relationship with their target, they quickly manipulate them, often acting like trusted financial advisors. Cryptocurrency is their preferred tool because it is nearly untraceable, easily transferable and operates outside traditional banking regulations, making it difficult for authorities to recover lost funds.
Many people assume spotting scams is easy, especially when it comes to spam calls, emails or clear fake messages.
Modern scams are far more sophisticated, using emotional manipulation, deepfake technology and professional-looking websites to deceive even the most cautious individuals.
