Global Scam Compounds Highlighted as Emerging Threat
INTERPOL has formally recognized that crypto-linked fraud now sits at the center of a sprawling global scam-compound industry, adopting a new resolution that classifies the phenomenon as a major transnational criminal threat.
The decision, passed at the organization’s General Assembly, reflects growing alarm among law-enforcement agencies worldwide as human trafficking and large-scale financial fraud become increasingly intertwined.
According to the resolution, proposed by the Republic of Korea, criminal syndicates are luring victims with false promises of lucrative overseas jobs before trafficking them into heavily guarded compounds.
Once inside, victims are forced to run illicit schemes, including cryptocurrency fraud, romance scams, voice-phishing operations, and investment scams that target individuals across multiple continents.
INTERPOL notes that although not all workers inside these scam centers are trafficked, those who are held captive often endure severe abuse, including torture, rape, sexual exploitation, and physical violence.
The organization warned that the use of advanced technologies, including encrypted communications and AI-enhanced deception, has made the criminal networks behind these compounds increasingly sophisticated and difficult to detect.
INTERPOL's Coordinated Global Response
To counter the threat, the resolution outlines a series of coordinated global actions: real-time intelligence sharing; multinational joint operations; stronger targeting of illicit financial flows; standardized emergency protocols for rescuing victims; and international awareness campaigns aimed at vulnerable groups such as job seekers and young adults.
“To effectively counter these criminal networks, we must strengthen collaboration, improve information sharing, and move forward with coordinated, decisive action,” said INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza.
He added that the agency is committed to supporting member states as they work to dismantle scam compounds and protect victims.
Scale and Evolution of the Criminal Networks
The resolution follows INTERPOL’s June crime-trend update, which revealed that victims from more than 60 countries have been trafficked into scam centers, with operations expanding far beyond their strongholds in Southeast Asia.
INTERPOL’s largest-ever global crackdown in 2024, across 116 countries, resulted in more than 2,500 arrests, highlighting the scale and evolution of the criminal networks involved.
INTERPOL previously issued Purple and Orange Notices in 2022 and 2023, warning that human-trafficking-fueled fraud had become a serious and imminent threat to global public safety.