The telecommunications fraud industry in Southeast Asia has become one of the largest black industries in the world, generating annual revenues of up to 75 billion US dollars.

According to the latest report by the Human Rights Council (HRC), Southeast Asia has become the core region for global telecommunications fraud, particularly in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos, where the number of telecom fraud practitioners is conservatively estimated to exceed 350,000, with an annual output value of 50 to 75 billion US dollars, almost equivalent to half of the GDP of the Mekong River basin countries.

The report points out that telecom fraud has become the most severe form of financial crime causing losses to Americans and is rapidly expanding globally. These transnational fraud groups recruit manpower from more than 70 countries worldwide through deception or coercion, and execute complex scams together with willing "volunteer fraudsters."

More seriously, the elite class in some Southeast Asian countries is alleged to be deeply connected with the black industry, leading to the gradual evolution of the entire telecom fraud system into a "grey power structure" with political protection. This has made local telecom fraud not only an economic issue but also a regional security and international governance challenge. China plays a complex role in this system, which also attracts external attention to its law enforcement choices and diplomatic stance.

The Secretary-General of Interpol warns, "Today, almost anyone on the planet can become a victim." Telecom fraud is no longer an "isolated case" issue but is part of a structural reorganization of the global black industry.