Manila: Southeast Asian nations, along with the United States and China, are set to intensify efforts against the growing threat of organised online scams at the upcoming East Asia Summit in Manila on November 17, according to a draft joint statement reviewed by The Associated Press.
The issue is expected to feature prominently during discussions involving leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and their international partners. The Philippines, which currently holds ASEAN’s rotating chairmanship, is hosting the annual gathering.
The proposed declaration highlights concerns over criminal networks operating scam centres across Southeast Asia, where fraudulent online activities are increasingly connected to human trafficking, forced labour and other forms of exploitation.
Authorities have reported cases in countries including the Philippines and Cambodia, where people recruited through fraudulent job offers were allegedly confined, threatened and tortured when they attempted to escape from scam compounds.
The draft statement also points to the growing use of artificial intelligence, digital payment platforms and advanced technologies by criminal groups to defraud victims and move illicit funds across borders.
A United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report released in July estimated that online scams linked to criminal networks in Southeast Asia caused global financial losses of between $88.3 billion and $114.1 billion in 2025.
The summit participants are expected to discuss intelligence sharing, stronger law enforcement coordination and joint action to dismantle scam operations. They will also examine factors enabling these networks, including poverty, corruption, weak legal frameworks and limited employment opportunities.
The proposed statement further emphasises that measures against online fraud must comply with international law and protect human rights.
