"Power and internet cuts fail to sever scam communications," a new challenge emerges in Southeast Asia's fight against telecom fraud. According to Channel News Asia (CNA), the widespread deployment of SpaceX's "Starlink" satellite network in scam hubs along the Myanmar-Thailand border is posing severe challenges to regional network security and regulatory frameworks.
The report states that in February this year, Thai police attempted to disrupt the communications of scam hubs by cutting off electricity and traditional network lines in some border areas, only to find that these areas could still maintain stable contact. Further investigations revealed that criminal gangs had smuggled in large quantities of "Starlink" terminal devices, using the satellite communication system to bypass terrestrial network controls and continue operations.
Although the Myanmar government has never approved "Starlink" to provide services within its territory, at least eight scam hubs in the Myawaddy area along the Myanmar-Thailand border are illegally using the system. Local network monitoring organizations estimate that there are currently over 3,000 active Starlink terminals in Myanmar, almost becoming the "only and stable communication means" for telecom fraud gangs.
The misuse of "Starlink" is not unique to Southeast Asia. Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal also reported that the system has been widely used illegally in unauthorized regions in the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia. U.S. anti-fraud investigator Erin West stated that Starlink, with its high speed and low latency, has become an ideal tool for cross-border fraud networks like "pig butchering scams," and "once Starlink is cut off, many fraud groups will immediately be paralyzed."
Although SpaceX officially prohibits using Starlink for any illegal activities, the company has yet to provide effective measures against risks such as device smuggling and cross-border signal transmission. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime noted that some online merchants even actively sell Starlink equipment to high-fraud areas like Myanmar.
Starlink is a global low-orbit satellite internet project launched by SpaceX in 2015, aiming to deploy over 42,000 satellites to achieve global coverage. By early 2024, SpaceX has successfully launched nearly 6,000 satellites, with network speeds reaching up to 301Mbps in some areas, widely used for remote work, video conferencing, and communication in remote areas.
Although the Starlink project was initially aimed at "connecting the globe and democratizing the internet," its easy accessibility and lack of regional control are being exploited by criminal gangs. According to Payload Research, by 2025, Starlink's global users are expected to exceed 7.8 million, with annual revenue projected to reach $11.8 billion, mainly from consumer services, equipment sales, and government contracts.
Currently, the California prosecutor's office has questioned SpaceX about the use of Starlink devices in criminal activities, but has not yet received an official response. Governments worldwide are also calling for strengthened international regulatory cooperation to prevent satellite networks and other high-tech tools from becoming "technological engines" for cross-border crime.
