Burma approves death penalty for scammers months after FBI’s $8 billion crypto crackdown

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Burma’s government approved the death penalty as punishment for internet scammers just months after theFBIannounced a sweeping $8 billion crackdown on scam networks coming from the country, according to the country’s state-backed media.

The Anti-Online Scam Law passed the country’s parliament on Tuesday, green lighting the death penalty for anyone who participates in a scam in which they “commit violence, torture, unlawfully arrest or detain, or treat any person in a cruel manner,”according toThe Global New Light of Myanmar, a media outlet jointly operated by a private company and the country’s Ministry of the Interior.

Burma, also known as Myanmar, has become ground zero for digital scams, with criminals oftenrecruiting migrantsfrom otherAsian countrieswith promises of legitimate work only to imprison them and force them to conduct the scams.

In May,the FBI announceda massive crackdown on a criminal network in Burma known as the “Democratic Karen Benevolent Army.” The operation resulted in the seizure of 127,000 Bitcoin, worth over $8 billion as of July.

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Multinational victims of scam centers stand in a crowd near an army

Multinational victims of scam centers, who were tricked or trafficked into working in Myanmar, stand on a vessel floating toward the Thai side of border via Moei River in Phop Phra District, Tak province, Thailand, on Feb.12, 2025.(Reuters/Krit Phromsakla Na Sakolnakorn)

The scammers, who allegedly have ties toChinese organized crime, had been specificallyIn 2025, Chinese,Thaiand Burmese authorities liberated more than 7,000 people from locked compounds in Burma.

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Scam center victims wait in a compound in Myanmar

Victims of scam centers, who were tricked or trafficked into working in Myanmar, at a compound inside the KK Park, a human trafficking hub on the border with Thailand-Myanmar, in Myawaddy, Myanmar, Feb.26, 2025.(Reuters/Stringer)

While the new Anti-Online Scam Law only mandates the death penalty for offenses that lead to another person’s death, the law mandates 10 years in prison for any instance of forced labor in relation tocybercrime.

The law’s approval also comes two days before theUnited NationsInternational Organization for Migration’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.This year the international body willcommemorate the dayon July 30 under the theme “Trapped Behind the Scam.”

People from various countries, who were working in the KK Park compound in Myanmar, travel in a boat across the Moei river to cross over from Myanmar to Thailand, as seen from Mae Sot District, Tak Province area on October 24, 2025.

People from various countries, who were working in the KK Park compound in Myanmar cross over to Thailand, as seen from Mae Sot District, Tak Province area on Oct.24, 2025.(Sarot Meksophawannakul/Thai News Pix/AFP via Getty Images)

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“People trapped in scam compounds are victims of trafficking, forced to commit crimes through violence, threats and coercion.They deserve protection, not punishment,” IOM Director General Amy Pope said in a statement.“We must work together to support survivors, stop traffickers and close the gaps these criminal networks exploit.No country can tackle this alone.”

TheUnited Nationsestimates that South Pacific scams resulted in the loss of over $114 billion in 2025.