During UNTOC COP12, Australia, in partnership with Indonesia, GI-TOC, and Freedom Collaborative, delivered a side event on online scam centers in Southeast Asia and their extensive links to transnational and serious organized crime.

The event was moderated by Ilias Chatzis, Chief of UNODC’s Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Section, with opening remarks delivered by Australia’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Vienna, Ambassador Ian Biggs. Speakers from GI-TOC, Freedom Collaborative and the Australian Federal Police discussed the key enablers of these centres, human trafficking for forced criminality, as well as law enforcement and civil society efforts to combat this crime.

Open discussion focussed on why online scam centres have proliferated recently in the region and beyond, and the vital role that non-government organisations and survivors can play in combating scam operations. Closing remarks were delivered by Indonesian Assistant Deputy for Coordination of Multilateral Cooperation, Mr Adi Winarso, who highlighted the complexity of the issue and the importance of global collaboration.