A disturbing trend has emerged in Southeast Asia: thousands of individuals are being trafficked abroad under false job promises, only to find themselves trapped in compounds and forced to operate crypto scams.

These victims—many lured by offers of high-paying remote work—end up in locations like Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos. Once there, their passports are confiscated. They're locked in guarded facilities and coerced into running "pig butchering" schemes, romance scams, and fake investment platforms targeting victims worldwide. Refusing to comply often results in physical abuse or worse.

The scale is staggering. Estimates suggest tens of thousands have been ensnared in this modern form of forced labor, with the operations generating billions in illicit revenue. The scams frequently involve cryptocurrency, making transactions harder to trace and victims harder to recover funds from.

Authorities are finally stepping up enforcement. Recent coordinated raids across multiple countries have led to arrests of trafficking networks and rescue operations for trapped workers. Governments are now sharing intelligence and working with international agencies to dismantle these criminal enterprises.

For the crypto community, this serves as a stark reminder: always verify job offers, never send money to strangers online, and report suspicious activity. The crackdown is intensifying, but vigilance remains the best defense.