Satellite Internet Becomes Critical Tool for Transnational Scam Operations in Southeast Asia
Satellite internet services, particularly SpaceX's Starlink, have become essential infrastructure for transnational criminal organizations running industrial-scale scam operations across Southeast Asia. As authorities in Thailand moved to cut cross-border electricity and internet connections to combat these fraud networks in early 2025, criminal enterprises quickly adapted by deploying satellite terminals to maintain their global operations. The shift highlights how technology designed to connect the unconnected can inadvertently fuel sophisticated criminal enterprises that cost victims worldwide hundreds of billions annually.
The Global Anti-Scam Alliance estimates that scams caused $442 billion in global losses in 2025, while the Federal Trade Commission reports Americans lost $158.3 billion to fraud in 2023 alone. The FBI documented a 33% increase in reported losses from 2023 to 2024, reflecting an accelerating threat that has transformed scams into one of the most profitable criminal enterprises globally.
Background and Context
The professionalization of online scams represents a significant evolution in transnational crime. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, hundreds of industrial-style scam centers now operate across Southeast Asia, particularly in Myanmar's border regions and Cambodia. These operations have proven more lucrative than traditional illicit activities like drug trafficking, attracting sophisticated criminal networks that exploit weak governance and corrupt local officials.
The Stimson Center first documented the pivot to satellite internet in March 2025, noting how transnational criminal organizations consistently demonstrate remarkable adaptability when faced with disruption. When traditional internet infrastructure becomes unavailable, these networks rapidly identify and implement alternative solutions, with satellite internet emerging as their latest workaround.
Key Figures and Entities
Transnational criminal organizations have established scam centers in Myanmar's border regions, particularly in areas like Myawaddy, where they benefit from limited governmental oversight and cross-border infrastructure from Thailand. Satellite imagery and mobile phone data analyzed by the International Justice Mission reveal the dramatic expansion of Starlink usage across eight major compounds, with connections growing from approximately 1,200 in April 2024 to 2,492 by April 2025.
SpaceX, Starlink's parent company, has faced increasing pressure from U.S. authorities. Senator Maggie Hassan wrote to Elon Musk in July 2025 urging action against the use of Starlink services by criminal networks, while the Senate's Joint Economic Committee launched investigations into the company's role in facilitating fraud against Americans. The Department of Justice subsequently issued seizure warrants for Starlink terminals found in scam compounds, though some equipment at locations like KK Park and Deko Park reportedly remained operational.
Legal and Financial Mechanisms
The transition to satellite internet allows scam operations to bypass traditional choke points in telecommunications infrastructure. When Thailand's National Broadcasting Telecommunications Commission began adjusting mobile towers along the border in May 2024 and subsequently cut cross-border internet access to five key zones in February 2025, criminal networks simply turned to orbiting infrastructure beyond national jurisdiction.
Data from the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre confirms that Starlink became a major internet service provider in Myanmar between July and October 2025, as traditional connections were severed. This technological workaround demonstrates how criminal enterprises exploit gaps between terrestrial regulation and extraterritorial satellite operations.
International Implications and Policy Response
The situation reveals significant regulatory gaps in international space law and telecommunications governance. Current frameworks, developed before the commercial satellite boom, provide limited tools for addressing criminal misuse of satellite internet services. The fundamental mismatch between globally operating satellite companies and territorially bound national regulators creates a gray area that criminal networks actively exploit.
In response to these challenges, the U.S. Trump administration announced a Scam Center Strike Force in November 2025 to coordinate interagency efforts against Southeast Asian fraud operations. However, experts emphasize that responses must balance security concerns with the legitimate need for satellite connectivity in underserved regions. The Myanmar Internet Project reports that 80 of Myanmar's 330 cities lack traditional internet access, forcing millions to depend on satellite services for essential economic activities.
Policy experts suggest several approaches: enhanced industry self-regulation through know-your-customer protocols, strengthened international cooperation through bodies like the International Telecommunication Union, and improved licensing requirements for satellite providers. The challenge remains developing solutions that can disrupt criminal operations without cutting off vital connectivity for vulnerable populations.
Sources
This report draws on data from the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, Federal Trade Commission, and Federal Bureau of Investigation; investigations by the Stimson Center; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime assessments; Asia Pacific Network Information Centre internet usage statistics; International Justice Mission field research; Myanmar Internet Project connectivity reports; and U.S. government documents including Senate committee inquiries and Department of Justice seizure warrants from 2024-2025.
