A bipartisan US congressional committee has launched an investigation into Elon Musk's Starlink satellite service over allegations it is providing internet access to scam centres in Myanmar. The centres are accused of defrauding victims worldwide of billions of dollars.
The probe follows reports that Starlink dishes began appearing on scam-centre roofs around the time of a February crackdown that was supposed to shut them down. Starlink has become Myanmar's largest internet provider in just three months, according to data from the APNIC regional internet registry.
Senator Maggie Hassan, the leading Democrat on the committee, has called on Musk to block Starlink service to the fraud factories. She wrote to Musk in July demanding answers to 11 questions about Starlink's role. The committee has the power to compel Musk to testify.
Former California prosecutor Erin West, who heads the Operation Shamrock campaign against the centres, said: 'It is abhorrent that an American company is enabling this to happen.' She warned Starlink in July 2024 that crime syndicates were using its technology but received no reply.
Americans lost an estimated $10bn to Southeast Asian scammers last year, up 66% from the previous year. Up to 120,000 people may be forced to carry out online scams in Myanmar centres, according to a 2023 UN report. Satellite images show new buildings springing up in guarded compounds around Myawaddy, many with Starlink receivers.
