UN warns that hundreds of thousands in Southeast Asia have been roped into online scams

By JAMEY KEATEN
Associated Press

GENEVA (AP) — The U.N. human rights office is reporting that criminal gangs have forced hundreds of thousands of people in Southeast Asia into participating in unlawful online scam operations, including false romantic ploys, bogus investment pitches, and illegal gambling schemes. The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights in a new report cites “credible sources” that at least 120,000 people in strife-torn Myanmar and roughly 100,000 in Cambodia “may be affected.” The report sheds new light on cybercrime scams that have become a major issue in Asia.