A harrowing new form of modern slavery is exploding across East Africa and Southeast Asia, with criminal syndicates forcing thousands of vulnerable people into conducting online scams under brutal conditions.
Victims are typically lured by sophisticated fake job advertisements promising lucrative work in tech or hospitality. Upon arrival, they have their passports confiscated and are held captive in heavily fortified compounds, often facing violence, torture, and psychological abuse if they fail to meet extortionate daily quotas.
A Global Network of Exploitation
This investigative report, drawing on survivor testimonies and intelligence from anti-slavery organisations, maps a sprawling network of these illicit centres. While previously concentrated in Southeast Asia, particularly Myanmar, the model is now being ruthlessly exported to countries like Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia.
The scale is immense. In Kenya alone, authorities have identified and shut down numerous compounds in recent months, rescuing hundreds of victims from countries across Africa. The criminal operations are highly adaptable, frequently moving locations to evade law enforcement.
The Human Cost: Trapped in a Digital Hell
Life inside these compounds is described as a "digital hell". Survivors report being forced to work up to 18-hour days, running romance and cryptocurrency investment scams targeting people in Europe and North America.
Their targets are meticulously chosen, with scripts provided to manipulate and defraud victims out of their life savings. Those who resist or fail to meet targets face severe punishment, including beatings, food deprivation, and electric shocks. Escape is nearly impossible due to armed guards and high walls.
From Myanmar to Africa: A Crisis Goes Global
The crisis first gained international attention in Myanmar's lawless border regions, where it is estimated hundreds of thousands are now trapped. However, the crackdown in Southeast Asia has prompted syndicates to establish new hubs in areas with weaker governance and high youth unemployment, making East Africa a prime target.
Local communities and under-resourced law enforcement agencies in these countries are struggling to combat the well-funded and heavily armed criminal gangs behind the operations. The problem is compounded by corruption and the sophisticated methods used to traffic victims across borders.
A Call for Urgent International Action
Anti-slavery groups are calling for a coordinated global response. They urge tech companies to crack down on fake job ads on their platforms, financial institutions to track and freeze illicit transactions, and governments to strengthen cross-border policing and victim support services.
This is not a isolated crime, but a pervasive human rights crisis happening in plain sight, fuelled by global inequality and the anonymity of the digital world. Without urgent action, this shadow economy of cyber slavery will continue to devastate countless lives.
