Scam networks caused estimated $88.3B-$114.1B in losses in 2025
The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime report describes how criminal networks that traditionally operated within Southeast Asia have expanded their reach through technology and integrated cross-border operations.
Scams have become a major component of the illicit economy, the report found, with estimated combined losses of $88.3 billion to $114.1 billion in 2025.
The report outlines how transnational crime that was once concentrated in Southeast Asia has expanded to other regions. At the same time, global criminal groups are increasingly engaging in drug trafficking, human trafficking and wildlife trafficking in Asia, according to the report.
The UNODC report said the use of integrated networks and technology is allowing criminal groups to build a rapidly growing illicit economy with reach beyond Asia.