Southeast Asia cyberscam crackdown

The effort, led by a newly formed Scam Center Strike Force, includes criminal charges and multimillion-dollar rewards for information leading to arrests.

Authorities claim the industry is worth nearly $20 billion a year and has stolen millions from U.S. citizens through sophisticated online manipulation.

China has also increased pressure on its neighbors to eliminate these crime hubs, which often employ forced labor.

The crackdown signals a major escalation in international efforts to dismantle the digital infrastructure used by global crime syndicates.