US Tech Abuse Powers Global Scams at Industrial Scale, AP/FRONTLINE Investigation Reveals

American Technology Drives Industrial Scale Fraud in Southeast Asia

American technology has become the backbone of a sprawling global scam-economy that cost Americans nearly $200 billion in 2024, according to a comprehensive AP/FRONTLINE investigation1

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. The investigation, based on tens of thousands of leaked scam center files and an analysis of more than 200,000 device connections at four scam compounds in Myanmar linked to US-sanctioned entities, reveals how US tech abuse has enabled the industrialization and globalization of fraud at unprecedented speed and scale. While public scrutiny has focused on social media platforms, the investigation shows that the infrastructure exploited to commit fraud begins much farther upstream in the digital supply chain.

ChatGPT and Gemini Power AI-Powered Scams Across Dozens of Languages

OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini have been incorporated into specialized software that allows scammers to operate at industrial scale, according to an analysis conducted with security nonprofit C4ADS3

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. The investigation identified two suites of software used by scammers at compounds in Southeast Asia that enable them to work across dozens of languages, generate automated replies, develop credible characters, and track employee performance. Scammers who purchased these tools took in tens of millions of dollars, according to blockchain analysis by TRM Labs. The case of Safeer Mohammed Koorimannil, who was trafficked to a scam center in Myanmar, illustrates the scale: in just one month, he targeted some 50,000 victims from at least 17 countries while impersonating a 28-year-old Singaporean woman. OpenAI responded by banning three accounts that had been using its models to support online scams after AP shared information about the abuse, while both OpenAI and Google emphasized they have programs to disrupt scammers from abusing their tools.

US Internet Infrastructure Carries One in Five Signals from Sanctioned Scam Compounds

A sophisticated global internet infrastructure supports scam operations in Myanmar, with US companies playing an outsized role in carrying traffic from scam centers. One in five signals from devices at four scam compounds linked to sanctioned entities in Myanmar was carried by a US-registered company, according to the AP analysis of device connections provided by International Justice Mission, an anti-trafficking nonprofit2

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. No other non-regional country came close. Among the companies identified were Cogent Communications, Oracle, AT&T, and DigitalOcean. Companies outside the US, including UpCloud in Finland and GlobalTeleHost in Canada, also had servers in the US that hosted high-risk traffic from scam centers. These companies emphasized that privacy by design constrains their ability to monitor for abuse, as they cannot see the content their networks carry. Oracle said it was "diligently working with law enforcement" on the material shared by AP, while UpCloud said the inquiry prompted an internal review and refinement of its risk assessment processes.

Starlink Remains Top Internet Provider Despite Crackdown Efforts

Elon Musk's satellite internet service, Starlink, continues to be the number one internet service provider in Myanmar, including to scam centers, despite Congressional scrutiny and a widely publicized crackdown last fall when the company said it cut off 2,500 kits near scam compounds5

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. Satellite imagery and device data show that at least 25 new scam compounds have been constructed deep inside Myanmar since the high-profile crackdown along the Thai border in October 2025. At least 13 of these new sites used Starlink IP addresses to get online between early March and the end of May, according to AP analysis of device and satellite data from International Justice Mission. The data covers only a sample and may not capture all Starlink activity at these locations. Starlink declined to respond to detailed questions but has publicly stated they cooperate with law enforcement, including a crackdown in May with the Department of Justice's Scam Center Strike Force.

Corporate Responsibility Questions Emerge as Companies Lack Enforcement Incentives

The abuse of US technology for global scams raises questions about how vigorously companies are enforcing their own terms of service, which prohibit illegal activity and explicitly ban fraud in many cases. The AP found no evidence to suggest these companies were doing anything illegal themselves. However, watchdogs say satellite internet, AI, and US internet infrastructure companies along the digital supply chains that fraudsters abuse have the technical capacity to do more to protect consumers but lack the legal, regulatory, and business incentives to crack down on cybercrime. "If there's no disincentive to continuing this, if there's no cost to actually facilitating scamming, then why would I spend a dollar to prevent scamming?" said Sascha Meinrath, the Palmer chair in telecommunications at Penn State University3

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. Tech companies have access to a trove of data that could be used to minimize illicit activity, but doing so requires significant investment. The compounds analyzed in the investigation include KK Park, Deko Park, and Tai Chang, which operate under the protection of armed militias affiliated with Myanmar's military. The US Treasury has designated these groups as transnational criminal organizations, citing their role in facilitating cyberscams and human trafficking, with rescued trafficking victims reporting torture and beatings.