© UNODC/L. Gil Online fraud is a rapidly growing multi-billion dollar criminal industry. Victims of human trafficking are being coerced into participating in online scams Peace and security
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Tuesday that criminals are luring hundreds of thousands of people around the world into online scams, a rapidly growing multibillion-dollar criminal industry. The IOM warning comes ahead of World Day against Trafficking in Persons, which is celebrated on July 30.
According to the organization, victims of the scam are usually lured by fake advertisements for work abroad. Once they arrive, they are stripped of their documents, locked in secure compounds, kept under constant surveillance, and forced through violence, threats, and debt bondage to participate in online scams. Many then report torture, sexual violence, starvation and solitary confinement.
IOM Director-General Amy Pope stressed that people held in fraudulent centers are victims of human trafficking, not criminals.
“They are forced to commit crimes through violence and threats. They deserve protection, not punishment,” she said.
Pope called on countries to act together: “We must work together to support victims, stop traffickers and close the loopholes that criminal networks exploit. No country can handle this alone.”
New data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime shows that total annual losses from online fraud in East and South-East Asia, Australia and New Zealand ranged from $88.3 billion to $114.1 billion in 2025.
In response to the increase in trafficking in persons for the purpose of criminal coercion, the IOM has introduced a new Regional Response Strategy in Asia-Pacific region for 2026–2030. The document includes enhanced victim protection, prevention, cross-border cooperation and strengthened partnerships to disrupt criminal networks.
From 2022 to 2025, IOM assisted more than 3,500 victims of trafficking in persons from 39 countries, including Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Kenya and Bangladesh.
IOM stresses that the release of the victims is only the first step. The consequences of forcible detention are severe psychological trauma, stigmatization, lack of documents and fear of criminal prosecution. The organization helps them obtain protection, return home and reintegrate, and works with governments and law enforcement agencies.
IOM encourages countries to continue to support trafficking victims with protection, safe return and reintegration, while expanding campaigns to raise awareness of traffickers’ tactics so that people can recognize the risks and know where to seek help.