Survivors speak out: Escaping the nightmare of cross-border scams

On January 11th, Chinese actor Wang Xing, a victim of an overseas "casting scam," returned safely to China after being trapped in Myawaddy, a city in eastern Myanmar infamous for telecom fraud syndicates. In a social media post, Wang reassured netizens of his safety and expressed gratitude for the support he received. His rescue highlights the growing danger of cross-border scams, which continue to target individuals with increasingly sophisticated tactics.

As international cooperation intensifies to combat telecom fraud and human trafficking, especially in northern Myanmar, syndicates have shifted their operations to Myawaddy, where fraudulent activities are on the rise. By tailoring scams to align with societal trends and individual preferences, these networks have widened their reach, targeting people of all ages, professions, and educational backgrounds.

In an investigation by The Global Times, survivors of Myawaddy's scam networks, families of missing individuals, and researchers specializing in telecom fraud shared harrowing accounts of deception, trafficking, and abuse.

"It Looked Professional, So I Believed It"

"Sometimes, I still dream about it—fragments of that nightmare. I never want to relive it again," Zhang, a PhD graduate from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and telecom fraud survivor, told the journalist.

In 2022, Zhang was desperate to fund medical treatments for his family and girlfriend, who were gravely ill. To raise money for surgeries, he quit his research position in China, earning 5,000 yuan monthly, and sought opportunities online. He stumbled upon a "recruitment agency" that promised him a translator job in Singapore. Trusting the agency's professional presentation, Zhang was eventually trafficked to Myawaddy, where he endured a year-long nightmare.

Zhang's Ordeal:

• Deceptive Recruitment: The "agency" claimed the job was based in Singapore, with a temporary assignment in a Thai branch office, deliberately avoiding any mention of Myanmar to lower Zhang's guard.
• Professional Front: The agency requested Zhang's academic certificates, English proficiency documents, a hospital health report, and a criminal record check. They also provided him with an official-looking job contract and even purchased his plane tickets.
• Reality in Myawaddy: Zhang was forced to work 18-hour days, impersonating Asian women to scam North American men through online chats.

"When I tried to escape, I was brutally punished," Zhang recalled. "Two men pinned me down and beat me with a thick wooden rod until my legs turned black and swollen. I couldn't stand up afterward."

Zhang described his imprisonment in a steel cage, where dozens of victims were crammed together. Some were detained for attempting to escape, others for leaking information, and some simply for falling behind in their "work." Victims were chained to steel bars and forced to stand for hours as punishment.

After Zhang's story gained attention on Chinese social media, his captors, fearing exposure, began treating him better. In September 2023, after multiple efforts from Chinese authorities and public outcry, Zhang was finally rescued and returned home. He now shares his story online to warn others against falling into similar traps.

Families Waiting for Justice

Zhang's story is not an isolated case. Since September 2023, Chinese authorities have intensified their crackdown on telecom fraud in northern Myanmar, arresting over 53,000 suspects and dismantling major fraud hubs. However, smaller operations persist in regions like Myawaddy, where an estimated 1,500 Chinese nationals remain trapped.

In online support groups for families of missing individuals, hundreds of relatives exchange updates, hoping for breakthroughs.

Mr. Bai's Story:

Mr. Bai's son disappeared in 2023 after he was lured to Myanmar by a "business opportunity" recommended by a friend. Now trapped in Myawaddy, Bai's son is forced to work 17-hour days, completing monthly quotas of 100,000 yuan under the threat of beatings.

"He told me they broke several of his fingers for failing to meet targets. He only has a few fingers left to type with," Bai said.

Mr. Bai's son revealed that all his personal belongings had been either confiscated or burned, and the camera on his work phone had been removed. High-tech measures were employed within the compound to make phone location tracking unreliable. The latest location he managed to send back indicated he might be in Mong Na, northern Myanmar, but the accuracy of this information could not be verified. Victims were forbidden from asking about the operations or management of the compound and were even coerced into using drugs.

According to Mr. Bai's son, after entering the country, he was transported in different vehicles and forced, along with other victims, to take photos and record videos claiming they had "voluntarily entered Myanmar." Traffickers then sent these photos to a group chat of compound bosses, who would select and assign victims to different compounds. In October last year, when the compound caught wind of impending enforcement actions, they transferred personnel overnight to Mong Na. During the transfer, all victims were handcuffed and crammed into trucks.

Mr. Bai said, "The telecom fraud syndicates are constantly playing a 'guerrilla war.'"

An online advertisement has been circulating, showing that the Myawaddy-based "Glory Group" compound was recruiting "employees" through traffickers. The ad stated: "Ordinary individuals, 100,000 yuan; fast typers, 120,000 yuan; aged between 20 and 30."

"These compound bosses pay traffickers for smuggling and trafficking fees, meaning that the moment you enter the compound, you already owe the boss over 100,000 yuan," Mr. Bai explained. Some victims' families have paid ransoms exceeding 300,000 yuan to rescue their loved ones, but Mr. Bai cannot afford such a sum. As the difficulty of luring new victims increases, ransom demands rise to 400,000–500,000 yuan.

To gather the ransom as quickly as possible, Mr. Bai works two jobs simultaneously. In his spare time, he studies the tactics of Myanmar's telecom fraud compounds, including their geographical layout and the identities of key operators, hoping to leverage any available information and resources to bring his son home.

Ms. Dai's Story:

Ms. Dai, a family member of one of the victims, initially responded cautiously when contacted by the reporter for an interview. It was only after the reporter provided identification documents that she let down her guard. She explained that many families searching for their loved ones had encountered scammers during the process. In desperation to save their relatives, some fell for additional scams and lost hundreds of thousands of yuan, suffering a second devastating blow.

On September 25th of last year, Ms. Dai received a message from her brother asking to borrow 5,000 yuan. After transferring the money, she asked if he would return home for the National Day holiday. He replied that he planned to stay in Hangzhou for work. That was the last time her family heard from him. On September 30th, her brother left Hangzhou for Xishuangbanna, and shortly after, he went missing. The last signal from his phone was traced to Wa State in Myanmar.

According to Ms. Dai, her brother had always dreamed of becoming an internet celebrity and was passionate about the livestreaming industry. At one point, he had taken out an online loan to send virtual gifts to a female livestreamer. That live streamer's account has since been deleted. Ms. Dai suspects that her brother's entrapment may be connected to this loan.

The Evolving Tactics of Scam Syndicates

While northern Myanmar's large-scale fraud operations have been dismantled, syndicates have adapted and moved to regions like Myawaddy. Experts warn that Myawaddy could become the "next northern Myanmar," as its infrastructure, military strength, and geographic isolation make it a difficult target for law enforcement.

According to Bao Zhipeng, a researcher at the China Institute of International Studies, these criminal networks have evolved in three key areas:

1. Advanced Deception: Scam syndicates have shifted from broad, generic schemes to highly personalized strategies tailored to victims' demographics, interests, and vulnerabilities.
2. Technology Integration: Criminals now use advanced tools like Starlink to bypass internet restrictions, ensuring their operations remain uninterrupted even during crackdowns.
3. International Expansion: While Chinese nationals remain primary targets, victims from Russia, Japan, South Korea, and India are increasingly being lured into scams. Fraud syndicates now use global platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and LINE to identify potential victims.

Bao also highlighted the complex "supply chain" behind these operations, which includes money launderers, transporters, promoters, and suppliers of fraudulent identification materials. Despite recent arrests, many kingpins remain protected by local networks, allowing them to evade capture.

The Road Ahead

Experts and advocates stress the need for smarter anti-fraud campaigns and international cooperation.

Dr. Jian Kunyi, a law professor at Yunnan University, emphasizes that combating telecom fraud requires both innovative technology and global collaboration. "We need to outpace criminal organizations by using AI to monitor and analyze scam-related activities," he said.

For victims like Zhang and families like Bai's, the fight against telecom fraud is deeply personal. Their stories are a stark reminder of the human cost behind these crimes and the urgent need for continued action.

The rise of Myawaddy as a fraud hub demonstrates the adaptability of criminal networks in Southeast Asia. As international efforts to combat these syndicates continue, the resilience of survivors and the determination of families seeking justice remain a powerful force for change.

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