Online scam centres fuelling human trafficking worldwide, warns UN agency

IOM chief says victims from more than 80 countries are lured into scam centres through fake job offers on social media.Published On 28 Jul 202628 Jul 2026The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has warned that trafficking people through online scam centres has become one of the world’s “fastest-growing” forms of human trafficking, with victims from more than 80 countries duped into their criminal operations.Scam ⁠centres employing as many as 300,000 workers across South-East Asia, including in Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, use online schemes to defraud often older people in the West, IOM Director General Amy Pope told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Pope Leo urges migrant protection, integration on visit to Lampedusalist 2 of 3More than 500 feared dead after reports of boats capsizing off Myanmarlist 3 of 3Lebanon-Israel deal betrays ‘victims of war crimes’, rights groups sayend of listThe criminal networks increasingly target educated jobseekers through advertisements on social media. They have successfully recruited people with strong English skills and university degrees by presenting them with fraudulent job offers.Victims a...