The UN has estimated the damage from crypto scams in Southeast Asia at $114 billion: the criminal economy has shifted to USDT and AI.
The scale of organized fraud in East and Southeast Asia, as well as in Australia and New Zealand, has reached alarming levels. Based on global monitoring data, I estimate the total damage from scam operations in 2025 to be between $88.3 billion and $114.1 billion. This is not just statistics — it is evidence that criminal networks have transformed into a highly organized transnational corporation using the most advanced technologies.
For comparison, in 2023, losses in the same subregions were estimated at $18–37 billion. An almost threefold increase in two years is not a coincidence but a natural result of integrating cryptocurrencies, artificial intelligence, and satellite communications into criminal infrastructure. The leaders in officially recorded losses for 2024–2025 were China ($5.1 billion), South Korea ($3.5 billion), and Taiwan ($2.8 billion).
Cryptocurrencies as a Settlement Infrastructure
Special attention in my analysis is drawn to the role of digital assets. Criminal groups systematically use stablecoins, primarily USDT on the TRON network, for near-instant, cheap, and pseudonymous transfers. This combination has effectively created a parallel financial system that bypasses banking controls and allows free movement of funds between jurisdictions via P2P platforms and over-the-counter brokers. This is not just a tool — it is the foundation on which the entire criminal economy of the region rests.
AI and Satellite Communications: A New Level of Threat
Generative artificial intelligence has lowered the barrier to entry for complex fraud schemes. Now even small groups can use deepfakes, voice cloning, and automated phishing. A 42% year-over-year increase in the use of legitimate advertising networks to distribute malware in 2025 is a clear marker that attacks are becoming massive and harder to trace. Satellite internet, including Starlink, allows criminals to operate in remote areas without relying on local operators.
Recruitment networks have expanded geographically: citizens of at least 80 countries have been identified in scam compounds, and requirements for knowledge of European languages (German, French, Swedish) indicate a global reach. This is no longer a local problem — it is a challenge for the entire international security system.
My conclusion: Simply disrupting operations is not enough. As long as the revenues of criminal networks remain beyond the reach of law enforcement, and cryptocurrencies ensure anonymity of transactions, we will see further escalation. It is necessary to train investigators in blockchain analytics and digital asset confiscation — otherwise, the fight against this phenomenon will be lost.