Myanmar Scam Centers Weaponize US Tech to Defraud Millions

A trafficked worker at a Myanmar scam center has exposed the inner workings of a sophisticated romance scam operation that exploited victims worldwide. Safeer Mohammed Koorimannil, forced to work at the facility, impersonated a 28-year-old Singaporean woman named Ella and managed over 100 simultaneous chat conversations daily while supervisors monitored workers with electric batons. In just one month, he targeted approximately 50,000 victims from at least 17 countries, including professionals and ordinary people across the globe—from a tailor in Kurdistan to farmers in Kyrgyzstan and Georgia.

An investigation by The Associated Press and FRONTLINE discovered that American technology companies, particularly those providing AI models like ChatGPT and Gemini, are fueling a global explosion in organized fraud. These tools have been weaponized by scam operations to create sophisticated impersonation software that works across multiple languages, streamlines operations, and enables unprecedented targeting of victims. The investigation found American tech infrastructure embedded throughout the entire criminal supply chain—from AI models and workflow optimization tools to satellite communications systems that help scammers evade internet restrictions.

While the companies themselves appear to be operating legally, questions arise about enforcement of their terms of service, which explicitly prohibit fraud and illegal activity. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that scams cost Americans nearly $200 billion in losses in 2024. Industry watchdogs assert that these technology companies possess the technical capability to better prevent abuse but lack sufficient legal, regulatory, and business incentives to take stronger action against the crime.