Scam Compounds: Crackdown Theater, Now From Space
What happened
Satellite imagery analyzed by the International Justice Mission shows at least 25 suspected new scam compounds have been built or expanded in Myanmar's Myawaddy region since the start of 2026. This comes despite a widely publicized junta 'crackdown' last year that included blown-up buildings and steamrolled computers.
Why this matters
These compounds aren't small-time operations — they're industrial-scale scam factories staffed by trafficking victims from over 60 countries, stealing billions from people worldwide via crypto and romance scams. If the 'crackdown' barely dented capacity, the scam economy is scaling faster than any government response.
The slightly cynical read
Exploding a few buildings ahead of elections makes for great optics and zero real disruption when the underlying criminal infrastructure — and demand for cheap trafficked labor — stays intact. Bulldoze one compound, build three more a few miles down the road.
What to watch next
Watch whether international sanctions actually choke off the financing and protection networks behind these operations, or whether satellite imagery keeps quietly outing new sites faster than anyone acts on them.