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The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has warned that hundreds of thousands of people worldwide are victims of human trafficking networks that force them to carry out online scams within a multi-billion dollar criminal industry.

This warning was issued in a statement released by the organization ahead of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, observed on July 30, which this year carries the theme "Trapped in a Trap of Fraud."

The IOM stated that victims are often lured by fake job advertisements promising legitimate employment opportunities abroad. Once they arrive at their destinations, many are detained in closed compounds, their documents are confiscated, they are subjected to constant surveillance, and they are forced, under duress, violence, threats, and forced debt, to carry out online scams targeting people around the world, according to the UN Daily News. Survivors reported being subjected to torture, sexual assault, starvation, and solitary confinement. “People held in fraud centers are victims of human trafficking, forced to commit crimes under duress, threats, and coercion,” said Amy Pope, Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). “They deserve protection, not punishment.”

She added, “We must work together to support survivors, stop human traffickers, and close the loopholes exploited by these criminal networks. No country can tackle this phenomenon alone.”

Billions of Dollars in Losses
The IOM noted the enormous scale of this crime, citing new data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which estimates annual losses from cyber fraud in East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand at between $88.3 billion and $114.1 billion in 2025 alone.

The organization added that a significant portion of these crimes are linked to organized crime networks, and that fraud centers in the region are believed to be holding hundreds of thousands of trafficked people. A New Strategy

In light of the expanding phenomenon of human trafficking for forced labor, both within and outside Asia, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) launched its Regional Strategy to Combat Trafficking in Persons for Forced Labor in Asia and the Pacific for the period 2026-2030.

The strategy aims to address one of the fastest-growing forms of human trafficking, focusing on victim protection, prevention, enhanced cross-border cooperation, and strengthened partnerships to dismantle trafficking networks.

Assisting Thousands
The IOM revealed that between 2022 and 2025, it provided assistance to more than 3,500 victims of human trafficking for forced labor in Southeast Asia, originating from 39 countries, with the largest numbers coming from Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Bangladesh.

The organization emphasized that the core message of this year's campaign is that people forced to commit crimes within fraud centers are victims of human trafficking, not criminals, and should be protected, not punished. Rescue is not the end of the road.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) emphasized that rescuing victims is only the first step. Many survivors face severe psychological trauma, social stigma, debt, loss of identity documents, and fear of prosecution, necessitating long-term support to ensure their safe return to their countries of origin and reintegration into their communities.

The IOM's response includes identifying victims, referring them to protection services, providing them with direct assistance, coordinating with consular authorities, supporting safe return and reintegration, and collaborating with governments and law enforcement agencies to enhance victim identification, develop cross-border cooperation, and hold traffickers accountable.

The IOM called for continued support for efforts to protect victims of human trafficking, ensure their safe return and reintegration, and intensify awareness campaigns about traffickers' tactics so that people can recognize the risks and know where to turn for help.