Exposing Myanmar’s “Scam City”: Starlink Blankets Rooftops as 100,000 Enslaved Workers Remain Trapped

Satellite imagery and footage from AFP’s drone reveal bustling construction activity within heavily guarded compounds near Myawaddy, a town on the Thailand-Myanmar border. These sites appear to be extensively utilizing Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service.

Experts indicate that most of these centers, notorious for online romance scams and investment fraud, are operated by Chinese criminal gangs in collaboration with Myanmar militias in the lawless “Golden Triangle” region.

100,000 Still Held Captive

In February, China, Thailand, and Myanmar compelled militia groups to pledge the eradication of these scam hubs, rescuing approximately 7,000 individuals from call center operations fueled by greed, human trafficking, and violence.

The freed victims, hailing from Asia, Africa, and beyond, showed AFP reporters scars and bruises inflicted by their captors.

They recounted being forced to work tirelessly, targeting victims for various online scams. A Chinese victim named Sun (pseudonym) described being sold through multiple camps before being rescued with Beijing’s intervention.

However, a senior Thai police official revealed that up to 100,000 individuals remain captive in these “scam cities” – vast complexes surrounded by barbed wire and armed guards, proliferating along the Myanmar border since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Starlink Antennas Proliferate

Satellite images show construction resurging just weeks after the crackdown. As Thailand cut power and internet, Starlink satellite dishes began appearing en masse on rooftops.

At KK Park, one of the largest camps, AFP counted nearly 80 Starlink antennas on a single building. Authorities also seized 30 Starlink receiver sets and related accessories.

Though unlicensed in Myanmar, APNIC data shows Starlink became the country’s largest internet source from July 3 to October 1, 2025, surpassing all local providers. SpaceX has not commented.

US prosecutors and Thai politicians have repeatedly warned about criminals exploiting Starlink for scams, but Elon Musk remains silent. California’s DOJ formally warned Starlink in July 2024 about gang exploitation, to no avail. The US Congress is now investigating Starlink’s involvement.

“It’s appalling that a US company is enabling this,” said US prosecutor Erin West, a cybercrime specialist.

Americans are the top victims of Southeast Asian scam gangs, losing an estimated $10 billion in 2024, a 66% increase year-over-year, per the US Treasury.

Last month, the US sanctioned 9 individuals and companies linked to She Zhijiang, founder of Yatai New City. In Shwe Kokko, construction continues unabated.

Satellite images show new offices and dormitories in 27 scam centers around Myawaddy, along the Moei River bordering Thailand. KK Park added a new section in 7 months, with massive security checkpoints.

At least 5 illegal ferries operate on the Moei, supplying Shwe Kokko, dubbed a “notorious crypto scam hub” by the US Treasury, protected by the Karen National Army (KNA).

UN reports show border scams between Myanmar, Thailand, China, and Laos stole over $37 billion in Southeast Asia in 2023.

Victim’s Tale of Multiple Sales

Sun, 25, from Yunnan, China, was abducted in Mae Sot, Thailand, and taken to Myawaddy, sold for 650,000 baht ($20,000). Due to a deformed finger, he was beaten and resold when unproductive. In his final camp, he messaged American targets before handing them to professionals.

AFP verified Sun’s account, interviewing him in his hometown after his rescue with 5,400 Chinese citizens in February.

“Almost everyone was beaten. Refusal to work or escape attempts meant electric shocks or whippings. There was no way out,” he said.

Though free, Sun is haunted: “I never scammed anyone, but the guilt weighs heavily. I just want to go home and forget.”

Workers are confined, monitored 24/7, and forced to memorize 25-page scam scripts, like Abby, a 35-year-old lonely Japanese woman, to gain victims’ trust.

Researchers note a clear corporate hierarchy, with coders, marketers, and closers.

Many missing Chinese are sought via WeChat, but fake “rescue teams” demand ransoms. Some “brokers” admit earning thousands monthly by arranging releases.

Anti-trafficking groups say many “private rescuers” are another scam layer.

On February 12, after Thailand cut power to Myawaddy, armed groups evacuated Sun and hundreds to Thailand, then to Nanjing with police escorts.

“An entire generation is being robbed. I don’t know how to stop this – it’s like an enemy state,” warned Erin West.

Experts fear these centers will relocate, not disappear.