Criminal networks are increasingly deceiving people with the promise of legitimate jobs, only to trap them in scam centres where they are forced to defraud others.
INTERPOL has been sounding the alarm about the rapid expansion of these scam centres, not only because of the financial harm they cause, but also because of their devastating human cost.
Not everyone working in a scam centre is a victim of human trafficking. But thousands are.
Many leave home believing they have secured their dream job, only to have their passports confiscated, be subjected to extortion, or face violence and intimidation. They are then forced to carry out fraud, cybercrime, money laundering and other criminal activities for the benefit of organized crime networks.
Once concentrated primarily in Southeast Asia, scam centres have now been identified across the Middle East, West Africa and Central America. The victims forced into criminality are being recruited from every region of the world.
On this World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, I congratulate @UNODC for continuing to shine a light on this growing threat. For @INTERPOL_HQ, it is an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to dismantling these criminal networks, protecting victims and strengthening international cooperation to bring those responsible to justice.