The UK Government will fund a series of three regional workshops over 2025, supporting law enforcement capacity in the Bali Process region to respond to growing challenges posed by cyber-scam centres.
The technical workshops will support law enforcement officers in building capacity to proactively detect, investigate and disrupt online recruitment tactics being used by trafficking recruiters, by applying Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) methods to investigations.
Cyber-scam centre operations have emerged as a growing illicit economy and threat for the global public. An estimated 1 in 4 people around the world have fallen victim to an online scam—presenting life-changing consequences for victims who can lose life savings, and for governments and the formal banking industry in providing a ready response. Southeast Asia’s cyber-scam centre operations have emerged as a key driver of this fraud, and continue to scale up their operations, including increasingly spreading to jurisdictions outside of Southeast Asia.
Sophisticated operations led by transnational crime groups include deception through false opportunities online being advertised to job-seekers, and subsequent trafficking of victims into forced criminality in cyber-scam centres.
Online platforms—particularly social media, but also job search websites and dating apps—are facilitating the operations of traffickers, who use these tools to communicate with one another and as avenues for the recruitment, payment, or advertising of fraudulent services.
The use of OSINT, or the collection and analysis of publicly available information from online sources, can support officers in the prevention, detection, and disruption of online crimes. The UK-funded workshops will leverage the RSO’s OSINT curriculum, applying OSINT skills to case studies and trends specific to the impact of cyber-scam centres in a regional context.
Law enforcement officers will gain skills in coordinating online investigations across borders, discuss strategies to coordinate with social media companies and job search websites to facilitate content moderation and access to electronic evidence.
A key proposed outcome from the series of workshops will be the establishment of a network of OSINT practitioners who can share information as well as research and investigative strategies related to cyber-scam centre responses.
As a Bali Process Observer State, the UK contribution to the RSO underlines its commitment to the region and support for capacity and capability development.
Cameron Hazel, Head of the Human Rights Department, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “Digital platforms play a prominent role in facilitating trafficking into cyber-scam centres and a coordinated international response is necessary to tackle this growing illicit economy. The UK is pleased to partner with the Bali Process Regional Support Office to strengthen counter-trafficking efforts and foster cross-regional cooperation on this important issue. This is vital alongside protection and promotion of human rights and the rule of law.”
David Scott, RSO Co-Manager (Australia) shared: “The UK funding for this series of OSINT workshops highlights the global bearing of this growing and evolving form of trafficking—the damage inflicted on victims trafficked into forced criminality, and to the secondary victims who fall prey to malicious scams. The RSO extends its gratitude to the UK Government for its support in facilitating regional cross-border capacity building and cooperation around this issue—crucial in equipping law enforcement to effectively counter the activity of transnational criminal groups.”
