What the Hack? | The scam industry relies on organized crime, human trafficking, and corruption. Erin West, Jake Sims, and Gary Warner share their insights and expertise.

The Diplomat | Jacob Sims writes that Western strategic missteps, absent U.N. accountability, a gutted civil society, and Thai aggression are providing cover for a Hun Sen’s weakened leadership.

OCCRP | When police raided hotel sites in Palau, they encountered scenes that looked much like those inside the scam compounds in Myanmar and Southeast Asia.

CTV News | An investigation looks into why the people making scam calls targeting Canadians seem to be so willing to scam people out of their life savings.

Chainalysis | Erin West joins the Public Key Podcast to discuss traveling to Southeast Asian scam compounds and investigating the transnational criminal organizations stealing the life savings of hard-working people.

U.S. Department of Justice | Strike Force teams focus on identifying, pursuing, and bringing key leaders to justice and preventing U.S. infrastructure from being weaponized against American citizens.

The Hill | Fraud experts outline the significance of the DOJ indictment of Chen Zhi and what must be done to fight industrialized scamming run by organized crime.

BBC | SpaceX says it has cut Starlink satellite communication links used by scam compounds in Myanmar tied to the multibillion-dollar scam industry.

Freedom Collaborative | A new report documents how East African nationals are being deceived and forced into criminal activity within Southeast Asia’s scam industry.

TRM Blog | TRM breaks down the recent indictment of the chairman of Prince Holding Group for crimes related to the operation of forced-labor scam compounds across Cambodia.

ABC7 | Operation Shamrock’s Erin West describes her visit to the site of a scam compound implicated in the DOJ’s $15B seizure from a cyber fraud operation.

NBC Bay Area | The Department of Justice has indicted the leader of a sophisticated crime network for operating scam compounds in Myanmar.

The Guardian | Starlink has become Myanmar’s biggest internet provider. A US Congress committee is investigating the activity of Elon Musk’s business in providing internet access to scam centers.

US DOJ Press Release | Chairman of Prince Group indicted for operating Cambodian forced-labor compounds engaged in crypto scams. DOJ files forfeiture action against about $15 billion in Bitcoin.

The New Indian Express (AFP) | Despite a crackdown that was supposed to shut down Myanmar scam centers, they’re growing — and Starlink’s presence in the compounds has increased.

1A — WAMU NPR  | Where do scam texts and calls come from? Who sends them? The sender is likely trapped in a scam compound and being forced to commit fraud.

The Fight of My Life | Escaping Scam City is a true-crime podcast about a couple who were trapped and forced into committing fraud. Operation Shamrock’s Erin West shares how the scams work and how we fight them.

Token for Your Thoughts  | Erin West explains pig butchering investment scams, the scam industry, and how Operation Shamrock unites banks, law enforcement, and advocates to fight back.