Cyber scam syndicates in Myanmar are pushing deeper inland, moving way beyond the borderlands of Karen State that everyone usually associates with scam compounds. Lately, even Mandalay, the country's second-biggest city, has turned into a hideout.
Security forces raided a scam operation hidden inside a jade trading compound in Mandalay’s Maha Aung Myay Township, hauling away a stash of computers, phones, and cash while arresting at least ten people, including Chinese nationals.
While border areas face heavier crackdowns, syndicates have managed to survive because certain spots enjoy protection from the military and local militias, meaning they are never truly rooted out. Now they are getting smarter, slipping into big cities like Yangon and Mandalay to keep the operations running out of shell companies and money-laundering networks.
