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A Democratic senator on Monday called on SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to prevent transnational criminal groups in Southeast Asia from using Starlink satellite internet to carry out fraud schemes targeting Americans.
Senator Maggie Hassan pointed to recent reports that Starlink is being used by a wide range of transnational criminal organizations operating “scam compounds” in Southeast Asia to facilitate these fraudulent activities.
She noted that the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has stated that such groups have scammed Americans out of billions of dollars. “Scam networks in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, however, have apparently continued to use Starlink despite service rules permitting SpaceX to terminate access for fraudulent activity,” Hassan wrote in a letter to Musk obtained by Reuters.
“SpaceX has a responsibility to block criminals from using the service to target Americans.” SpaceX has not yet responded to a request for comment.
For years, criminal networks have trafficked hundreds of thousands of individuals to scam compounds across Southeast Asia, particularly in areas along the Thai-Myanmar border, where victims are forced into illegal online operations, according to the United Nations.
“While most people have probably noticed the increasing number of scam texts, calls, and emails they’re receiving, they may not know that transnational criminals halfway across the world may be perpetrating these scams by using Starlink internet access,” Hassan wrote.
In an effort to disrupt the scam operations, Thailand has since February cut off electricity, internet, and fuel supplies to five areas along the Myanmar border, including Myawaddy. These centers have become a growing security threat in the region.
International attention heightened after Chinese actor Wang Xing was abducted in January shortly after arriving in Thailand. He was later rescued by Thai authorities, who found him across the border in Myanmar.
Criminal networks, primarily originating from China, are believed to operate several of these scam centers, including those in the Myawaddy region, according to the United States Institute of Peace.
