New York (GNP): Human trafficking is increasingly taking new forms as criminal networks exploit people and force them to participate in online scams, according to recent United Nations reporting and warnings from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The emerging form of exploitation involves people being recruited through deceptive job advertisements and promises of legitimate employment before being transported to scam centres, where they can be forced to conduct online fraud and other cyber-enabled criminal activities.
UNODC has highlighted the growing connection between human trafficking, cybercrime, fraud and organized crime.
In July 2026, UNODC and the European Union warned that trafficking for forced criminality in scam centres is increasing globally, with the model spreading beyond Southeast Asia to regions including South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Latin America.
The changing nature of trafficking presents a particular challenge because victims may initially believe they are accepting genuine employment.
Criminal groups can use attractive advertisements for jobs in areas such as information technology, customer service, translation or other professional sectors to target people seeking employment.
Once recruited, victims can find themselves in controlled environments where they are forced to perform online scams. UNODC has documented cases in which victims were confined in casino complexes, hotels, office buildings and residential developments connected with special economic zones.
The issue is increasingly relevant to South Asia. UNODC’s Global Report on Trafficking in Persons has identified South Asian trafficking flows across a wide range of destinations, while its research on forced criminality has documented victims from countries including India, Nepal and Pakistan among those trafficked into scam operations in Southeast Asia.
A major concern is that victims may not always be recognized as victims after being rescued.
Some people forced to conduct scams have faced criminal or immigration-related consequences because authorities initially treated them as participants in illegal activities rather than people subjected to trafficking.
UN reporting has emphasized the need to identify and protect such individuals.
Also Read: BRICS Leaders Back Traditional Medicine in Delhi Pact
Digital technology has made it possible for criminal networks to operate across borders while targeting victims and scam recipients in different countries.
UNODC has reported that organized criminal groups have also adopted artificial intelligence-enabled tools, including technologies involving face swapping and voice replication, to support fraudulent activities and evade security measures.
The scale of the problem is difficult to measure because many operations remain hidden. However, the European Commission, citing UN estimates, reported in July 2026 that more than 300,000 people in Southeast Asia were being forced to conduct cybercrime, including online scams.
It also reported that cyber scams generated an estimated $18 billion to $37 billion in illicit profits in Southeast Asia during 2023.
The problem therefore extends beyond individual victims. It creates challenges for law enforcement, migration systems, financial institutions and cybersecurity agencies because the criminal networks operate across multiple jurisdictions.
UNODC and international partners are calling for stronger cooperation between governments, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders.
Efforts include improving investigations, identifying victims, dismantling criminal networks and ensuring that people subjected to forced criminality receive protection and access to support.
As online fraud becomes increasingly sophisticated, the evolving connection between technology and human trafficking is creating a new challenge for governments and international organizations.
Addressing it requires recognizing that people forced to commit online crimes can themselves be victims of trafficking and ensuring that responses focus not only on the digital crime but also on the exploitation behind it.
