UNODC: Asia-Pacific online scams hit US$114B

A UNODC report says victims of transnational online scams in East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand lost up to US$114.1 billion in 2025, more than triple 2023, with Cambodia and Myanmar identified as regional hubs for fake romance and cryptocurrency investment schemes; authorities, including the United States, Britain and China, are cracking down and have extradited scam bosses from Cambodia, as the broader illicit economy becomes increasingly integrated across multiple markets. China, South Korea and Taiwan recorded the largest losses among regional victims, signaling a widened and more sophisticated cybercrime landscape.