They look like offices from the outside. Inside, they operate more like prisons.
Across parts of South-East Asia, thousands of people are being forced to run online scams from compounds, working long night shifts under surveillance, a recent report in WIRED magazine claims. These operations are some of the most profitable cybercrimes in the world, draining victims of their savings while trapping workers in systems of debt, intimidation, and violence. The report offers one of the clearest views yet into how these compounds function behind closed doors.
What are scam compounds?
Scam compounds are large, organised facilities where people are coerced into carrying out online fraud, most commonly romance and cryptocurrency investment scams known as “pig butchering.” Victims are slowly groomed, emotionally manipulated, and then persuaded to move large sums of money into fake or controlled crypto platforms.
More importantly, some of the people running these scams are victims themselves. Workers often are lured with fake job offers, only to have their passports confiscated and be placed in debt bondage once inside. As one expert quote by WIRED described it, “It’s a slave colony that’s trying to pretend it’s a company.”
The recent burst of attention
Global attention intensified after WIRED received leaked internal documents from a whistleblower trapped inside a compound known as Boshang, which previously operated in Laos’ Golden Triangle, a region in Thailand. The material included thousands of WhatsApp messages, internal manuals, scam scripts, and screen recordings showing daily life inside the operation.
The messages revealed a chilling mix of corporate-style motivation and coercion. In one post, a manager encouraged workers to “talk to that next customer like you're bringing them something valuable.” Hours later, another warned, “Don't resist the company's rules and regulations. Otherwise you can't survive here.”
In just 11 weeks of chat logs, workers inside the compound defrauded victims of roughly $2.2 million, according to the WIRED report.
What happens inside scam compounds?
The compounds specialise in long-con scams. Workers pose as wealthy, attractive individuals online, often targeting victims who share their cultural or ethnic background. Romance is used as an entry point, followed by carefully scripted crypto investment pitches.
Internal documents viewed by the magazine show detailed guidance on how to build trust, manage doubts, and escalate financial commitments. Some scripts even instruct scammers to talk openly about the existence of scams to appear more credible, preparing victims to ignore warnings from banks or law enforcement.
How are scam compounds operated?
Control inside the compounds relies less on locked doors and more on debt. The report claims that workers are given a nominal salary, but it is quickly reduced through fines for missing quotas, falling asleep, or breaking dormitory rules. Refusing to accept a fine often results in harsher penalties.
Passports are confiscated, and workers are told they can leave only after paying large “compensation” fees. Harvard researcher Jacob Sims described this language as “coded words for ransom and debt bondage.”
Shifts typically last up to 15 hours and are scheduled overnight to match US time zones. Workers are monitored constantly and sometimes required to give managers access to their messaging accounts, the magazine reports.
How do scam compounds use AI?
AI has become central to modern scam operations. Workers are trained to use generative AI tools to craft convincing messages and responses. Even more concerning is the use of deepfake technology.
Leaked chats describe a dedicated “AI room” where face-swapped video calls are carried out using a live model’s face. One internal message noted, “Sana (our model who helps us to call) is not available tonight,” underscoring how routine this deception has become.
Why do scam compounds persist?
These compounds operate in regions with weak enforcement and deep criminal influence. Even when raids occur, they are often temporary. Operations frequently relocate across borders to avoid scrutiny.
As one researcher told WIRED, escape is rare because “the whole place is a closed circuit.”
Scam compounds represent a collision of cybercrime, human trafficking, and emerging technology. They are efficient, profitable, and increasingly difficult to dismantle. While victims lose money and workers lose freedom, the system continues to scale quietly in the background of the global internet economy.
For many trapped inside, the reality is summed up by a message from a compound boss: “This is a place to work, not to enjoy. You can only enjoy life when you leave here.”
Jemi Motesho
