Despite highly publicized crackdowns last year, over two dozen new suspected scam compounds have either been built or significantly expanded in war-torn **Myanmar** in the past six months. This proliferation indicates that efforts to dismantle the highly lucrative scamming industry have largely failed to curb its growth. According to an analysis of satellite images by the **International Justice Mission (IJM)**, an anti-human-trafficking nonprofit, at least 25 alleged scamming sites have emerged in **Myanmar's Myawaddy region**, near the Thai border, since the beginning of the year. The imagery depicts extensive land clearing, deforestation, and the construction of numerous buildings and infrastructure necessary for large-scale scam operations. "Some were skeptical that the crackdowns last year were genuine, and this imagery shows that was correct," states **Eric Heintz**, a global analyst at the **IJM**. "While that crackdown did disrupt operations, the scale of these new developments appears to be more than enough to absorb what was destroyed last year." ### The Human Cost of Industrial-Scale Fraud For over a decade, scam compounds have been a pervasive issue across Southeast Asian nations like **Myanmar**, **Cambodia**, and **Laos**. These sites, often controlled by Chinese organized crime syndicates, are responsible for a substantial portion of global online fraud, siphoning billions through complex cryptocurrency and romance scams targeting victims worldwide. Crucially, the daily operations of these scams are largely carried out by victims of human trafficking. Individuals from more than 60 countries are lured to the region under false pretenses of employment, only to be forced into 24/7 scamming activities. Many have their passports confiscated, face beatings for non-compliance, and have minimal chances of escape. Hundreds of thousands of trafficking victims have been coerced into these compounds in recent years. ### Crackdowns Prove Ineffective The industrial scale of these scam operations has escalated into a global crisis, prompting international sanctions against individuals and entities allegedly linked to the operations in **Myanmar** and **Cambodia**. Last October, ahead of national elections, **Myanmar's military junta** conducted raids on some known compounds, theatrically destroying buildings, phones, and computers used in the scamming activities. However, these high-profile actions appear to have done little to deter the vast scamming enterprises. **Mechelle B. Moore**, CEO of the anti-trafficking nonprofit **Global Alms Incorporated**, based near the Thai-Myanmar border, confirms that her group has identified at least a dozen new sites, with some previously raided areas now repopulated. "There’s some that have stayed empty, but there’s a lot of construction that was happening toward the end of last year that no one saw," Moore remarks. **Heintz** notes that while some new compounds were in early stages during the crackdown, others began construction around January. "The pace of construction is significant—some of these are going from empty fields to operational compounds in a couple months," he explains. Satellite images reviewed by Ghost Protocol show clearings where approximately 24 buildings appeared at one site between January and April. Other images depict extensive tree clearing for new buildings, roads, and potential housing. Clusters of large buildings, likely victim accommodation, are visible across many new sites. ### Technology's Unintended Role: Starlink's Continued Presence "The layout of these compounds match what we’ve seen in the 30-plus other larger compounds in the area," **Heintz** states, noting that while the **IJM** hasn't directly interviewed escapees from these specific new sites, they are aware of people inside them. He highlights that many newly identified locations are remote and lack any other logical purpose in the region. This, combined with "tech data showing a variety of foreign internet service providers associated with the locations, make me think that these locations are scam-related." Previously, **Heintz** utilized mobile advertising industry data to analyze devices and internet service providers within known scam compounds, including **Elon Musk's Starlink**, operated by **SpaceX**. A **WIRED** investigation last year identified at least eight compounds in **Myawaddy** seemingly using **Starlink** devices, with antennas visible on rooftops. Subsequently, US law enforcement issued seizure warrants for **Starlink** terminals used at some of these compounds. "We continue to see **Starlink** being used, with at least half of these new locations using their terminals—we know exactly where these compounds are, and in some cases know the IPs used by **Starlink** connections from these compounds, and it remains unclear why the company can’t shut these off," **Heintz** asserts. While **Starlink** has previously stated it cut connections to 2,500 devices linked to scam compounds in **Myanmar**, its continued presence in new and expanding sites raises significant questions. **Moore** of **Global Alms** reiterates that despite the crackdowns, criminal masterminds behind these operations remain largely untouched. When compounds are raided, personnel are simply relocated to other sites. "We have drone footage, so we’ve confirmed eyes on for nine of the different sites that we thought had been emptied, and they’re all populated, and new victims in there," she concludes. "Nothing has changed, unfortunately. It's just growing."