Online scams and fraudulent schemes are costing East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand approximately $114 billion annually, according to a UN assessment released this week. The financial toll continues to climb as criminal networks grow more sophisticated and interconnected.

Delphine Schantz, the regional representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, highlighted the scale of the problem while addressing delegates at the International Conference on Combating Online Scams in Phnom Penh on September 23. She emphasized that fraud reaches across all demographic and economic segments, eroding public confidence in institutions and hampering legitimate business activity.

The situation has become increasingly complex, with loosely connected criminal groups across Southeast Asia consolidating into a unified, technology-enabled network that operates with corporate efficiency. These operations now feature specialized divisions handling money laundering, human smuggling, and personal data theft. Modern scammers are adopting emerging technologies, particularly cryptocurrencies, to stay ahead of law enforcement efforts.

Schantz commended Cambodia's emerging leadership on the issue, noting recent progress in coordinated crackdowns on fraud operations and the establishment of the Commission for Combating Technology-enabled Scams. The international conference itself represents a significant commitment to regional cooperation.

Despite these encouraging developments, Schantz stressed the need for deeper collaboration across borders and sectors. She called for stronger information-sharing on criminal patterns, harmonized legal frameworks, improved procedures for digital evidence, closer partnerships between government and technology companies, and sustained political will to generate meaningful results rather than simply redirecting criminal activity elsewhere.