The UN has estimated the global damage from scam networks at $114 billion: cryptocurrencies have become the financial backbone of crime.
The scale of organized fraud in East and Southeast Asia, as well as in Australia and New Zealand, has reached an astronomical $88–114 billion in 2025. These are not just numbers — they are an indicator that the region's criminal economy has transitioned to a new, industrial level. This is not about isolated individual hackers, but about well-organized transnational corporations of evil that effectively use modern technologies, including cryptocurrencies.
For comparison: back in 2023, losses from the same schemes were estimated at $18–37 billion. Thus, over two years, the damage has roughly tripled. Among the "leaders" in officially recorded losses in 2024–2025 are China ($5.1 billion), South Korea ($3.5 billion), and Taiwan ($2.8 billion). However, these figures are just the tip of the iceberg, as a significant portion of victims simply do not report to law enforcement agencies.
Criminal Franchising and a New Financial System
Fragmented syndicates have turned into a single cross-border network with shared infrastructure. This model, which experts compare to corporate franchising, includes "departments" for money laundering, human trafficking, and data collection. All of them are connected to a single service network, making the fight against them extremely difficult. According to analysts, the scale and complexity of this criminal economy already outpace existing countermeasures by states.
Cryptocurrencies play a key role in this system, primarily the stablecoin USDT on the TRON network. This combination has created a parallel financial system for nearly instant, cheap, and pseudonymous cross-border transfers. Through P2P platforms and underground brokers, criminals convert fiat into stablecoins and back, successfully bypassing bank controls. Effective tracking and confiscation of these assets is a task without which any crackdown on scam centers will only be a temporary measure.
AI, Starlink, and Global Recruitment
Criminal groups are actively implementing generative AI to create deepfakes, phishing texts, and voice cloning. Satellite internet, including Starlink, allows them to operate in remote areas without relying on local operators. Furthermore, recruitment has extended far beyond Asia: people from 80 countries are found in scam compounds, and job advertisements require knowledge of European languages.
My professional opinion: The cryptocurrency market, despite all regulatory efforts, remains an ideal environment for such schemes due to its pseudonymity and transaction speed. As long as stablecoins, especially USDT, remain the "circulatory system" for this criminal business, we will see new records of damage. The fight must target not only the fraudsters but also the infrastructure that allows them to move billions of dollars with impunity.