At its 93rd General Assembly, held in Marrakech, Morocco, from November 24–27, the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) adopted a resolution addressing the growing threat posed by transnational scam centres - criminal hubs linked to large-scale fraud, human trafficking and abuse.

Alarming figures

The Interpol General Assembly pointed to several alarming figures. Global cybercrime damage costs were 8 trillion USD in 2023, and are forecast to reach 10.5 trillion USD in  2025.

Interpol particularly warned about transnational scam centers. Organized criminal networks spread online scams to steal assets through high-tech methods or through crypto currency manipulation.

Alarmingly, many people have been lured abroad by fraudulent offers of high-paying jobs and then forced to participate in fraudulent activities. According to Interpol, these activities are expanding across Southeast Asia, Africa, Central America, and the Middle East. Victims have been discovered in 66 countries, showing the global scale of this crime.

In the latest massive operation, Interpol collaborated with the authorities of 18 African countries to arrest 1,209 cybercriminals who had targeted 88,000 victims. The operation retrieved 97.4 million USD. On November 5, German police dismantled a cross-border fraud ring that had stolen the credit card information of 4.3 million card holders in 193 countries. In total, the estimated damage from the fraud scheme exceeds 300 million euros or 350 million USD.

Beyond economic and psychological harm, transnational criminal organizations are increasingly threatening national security. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said cross-border crimes, including cyber fraud, heightens conflicts, undermines state institutions, and poses a genuine threat to international peace and security.

"Transnational organized crime is a serious threat to peace, security, and sustainable development everywhere, in every country, rich or poor, North or South, developed or developing. Cyberspace is a goldmine for these criminals," said Mr. Guterres.

In response to the growing threat of cross-border fraud, international cooperation mechanisms are being strengthened. At the end of October, the UN Convention against Cybercrime (the Hanoi Convention) was opened for signing in Hanoi. From November 11–12, the Global Operation Meeting, involving Interpol and ASEAN Chiefs of Police (ASEANAPOL), was held in South Korea. This was the first direct meeting under the joint operational campaign “Breaking Chains,” initiated by the South Korean police to combat cross-border fraud and human trafficking.

AI factor

Criminal organizations have used AI and deepfake technology to conduct sophisticated, large-scale scams. Interpol says technology is a key factor driving the recent surge in cybercrime, turning it into a global “crime pandemic.”

Interpol recommends that countries invest more in data analytics capabilities, inter-agency coordination, and specialized law enforcement training, particularly in using AI to investigate and dismantle cross-border criminal networks.

Interpol Secretary-General Valdecy Urquiza said: “Interpol is supporting on that fight in three different strategies. The first one is we are helping law enforcement agencies understand how the criminals are using AI. The second one is also understanding that police can and should leverage from AI. We are developing specific tools and services that law enforcement agencies can use to support them on investigation, especially with complex investigations. If they have a large number of data sets that they need to go through, AI can help with that. And the third aspect of our strategy with AI is to develop the guidelines and to foster the discussion with law enforcement and the civil society on the responsible use of AI by law enforcement.”

Interpol is pushing for a shared global database of phishing websites and known cyber criminals. Field operations targeting regional and global criminal hotspots need to be stepped up, focusing on organized crime networks and monitoring and seizing illegal assets to cut off their profits.

In October, Interpol and South Korean police launched an operation along the border between Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries to track suspects linked to fraud camps. They plan to expand operations this month to other ASEAN borders.

Countries are advised to establish procedures for locating, rescuing, and repatriating victims of such trafficking schemes and coordinate global awareness campaigns.