$114 billion: UN records explosive growth of Asian scam networks and the transformation of cryptocurrencies into their financial backbone
The scale of organized digital crime in the Asia-Pacific region has reached an unprecedented level. According to the latest estimates, the total damage from scam operations in East and Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand for 2025 ranges from $88.3 to $114.1 billion. This figure includes both officially recorded losses and the estimated "gray zone" — victims who, for various reasons, do not contact law enforcement agencies.
To understand the dynamics: just two years ago, in 2023, similar damage was estimated at $18–37 billion. Thus, over two years, the volume of financial losses has roughly tripled, indicating a systemic and rapidly scaling threat. The leaders in recorded losses for 2024–2025 were China ($5.1 billion), the Republic of Korea ($3.5 billion), and Taiwan ($2.8 billion).
Crime Franchising: From Disparate Groups to a Unified Network
The key finding of the analysis is not just an increase in the number of fraudsters, but a fundamental restructuring of the criminal economy. Disparate syndicates have transformed into a cross-border network with shared infrastructure. This model, comparable to corporate franchising, unites specialized "departments": some handle money laundering, others human trafficking, and still others data collection. All are connected to a single service network, making combating them extremely difficult.
The scale and complexity of this new criminal economy, according to leading analysts, already outpace existing countermeasures. A significant portion of operations is still based in large, isolated scam centers where people are held against their will and forced to work.
USDT on TRON: A Parallel Financial System for Criminals
The report particularly emphasizes the role of cryptocurrencies, primarily the USDT stablecoin on the TRON blockchain. This combination has essentially created a parallel financial system, enabling nearly instant, cheap, and pseudonymous cross-border transfers. Criminal groups actively use P2P platforms, over-the-counter brokers, and underground banking networks to convert fiat money into stablecoins and back, effectively bypassing bank controls and obfuscating trails.
Experts call for training law enforcement in modern methods of tracking and confiscating crypto assets. Simply disrupting operations without seizing the proceeds of criminal networks will not have a long-term effect — these networks will simply resume their operations in a new jurisdiction.
AI, Starlink, and Global Recruitment: New Horizons of the Threat
Criminals are actively adopting technology. Generative AI and deepfakes lower the barrier to entry for complex fraud schemes, allowing even small groups to use voice cloning and realistic videos. The use of legitimate advertising networks to distribute malware has increased by 42% year-over-year. Satellite internet, including Starlink, gives attackers independence from local telecom operators, allowing them to operate in the most remote areas.
The geography of recruitment is also expanding. Citizens of at least 80 countries have been identified in scam centers. Job advertisements allegedly linked to these centers increasingly require knowledge of European languages — German, French, Polish, Dutch. This is an alarming signal, indicating that the geography of searching for victims and personnel extends far beyond Asia.
Expert Commentary: The figure of $114 billion is just the tip of the iceberg. The most alarming aspect is not so much the amount of damage, but the evolution of the model. We are witnessing the formation of a sustainable, technologically equipped, and global criminal ecosystem, where cryptocurrencies act not just as a tool, but as a key infrastructure element. Without coordinated international efforts to regulate P2P exchange and block flows of stablecoins to suspicious addresses, this sector will only grow.