Chinese cybercrime syndicates in Myanmar now target victims worldwide

Chinese restaurants with signage in Chinese and Burmese are seen in Shwe Kokko, a newly built town in Myanmar's Karen state. [VOA]

Organized criminal groups from China operating on the Thai-Myanmar border are threatening internet users worldwide with online scams and financial fraud, using trafficked "cyber slaves" to carry out their crimes, according to a new report by the congressionally established United States Institute of Peace in Washington.

The groups have been pushed out of China by Chinese authorities and are now operating in bordering Southeast Asian countries such as Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. Despite what is characterized by the report as a "global security threat," little has been done to stop the growth of these criminal enclaves.