ASEAN leaders in Manila put online scam networks on summit agenda

Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and their counterparts from the United States, China and elsewhere meet in Manila on Tuesday for a summit whose draft joint statement takes aim at the online scam industry, according to a copy seen by the Associated Press.

The draft, which the AP reported on Friday, says the leaders will express "grave concern over the escalating threat posed by transnational criminal organizations inflicting harm through online scams, including those originating from scam center operations and associated criminal conduct such as human trafficking."

Scam compounds across Southeast Asia have drawn in workers lured by recruitment syndicates, and authorities in the region have reported that people who try to leave or refuse orders face threats and torture. The AP said such centres have operated in the Philippines and Cambodia.

The statement also points to criminal use of digital and financial platforms and acknowledges "the severe human consequences associated with scam centers." It calls for sharing threat assessments and best practices, closer coordination between law enforcement agencies and cooperation to dismantle the centres, without setting out specific measures.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported in July that groups based in Southeast Asia were using integrated networks and technology to reach other regions. It estimated combined losses to scams at $88.3bn to $114.1bn in 2025. The same report described syndicates using malware, generative artificial intelligence and deepfakes for sexual extortion and exploitation, and said victims were also sold into domestic servitude, forced begging and forced labour.

According to the draft, the leaders will name poverty, weak social protection, outdated domestic laws, gaps in public and private coordination, corruption and limited economic opportunity as drivers of the trade. They will say government responses must be consistent with international law and respect human rights.

Anadolu Agency reported that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Australian and Canadian prime ministers were among the dignitaries arriving, and that ASEAN was signing a digital economy agreement. The agency gave no details of the agreement.

The Philippines holds the rotating chair of ASEAN, which the AP described as an 11-nation bloc. The expanded gathering, the East Asia Summit, brings in the bloc's partners, including Washington and Beijing.