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493 Cases of Sextortion Against Children Linked to Notorious Scam Compounds
Scam compounds in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos have conned people out of billions. New research shows they may be linked to child sextortion crimes too.
An October 2024 report into the growth of scam compounds from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, which was partially authored by Wojcik who then worked at the organization, pointed to the increase in sextortion cases against adults and the use of AI. “The tactics are consistent: Bad actors pose as attractive individuals on social media, build trust with victims, then coerce them into sharing sensitive images or videos,” Ngo says. Heintz says that governments and tech companies need to do more to tackle the many crimes linked to the scam compounds—including human trafficking, fraud, money laundering, and now following the IJM’s research, evidence that children are likely being harmed.
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