UN agencies warn of rising human trafficking linked to scam centres

Criminal groups exploit these abilities to conduct large-scale online fraud, while corruption and official complicity in some locations help shield the operations from law enforcement.

The Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT) has warned that trafficking for forced criminality is becoming one of the fastest-growing forms of human exploitation, with scam centres driving a sharp increase in victims worldwide. Marking the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, the UN-led coalition called on governments to strengthen legal protections, improve victim identification and intensify action against organised criminal networks.

ICAT said many victims are lured by fake job offers before being trapped in guarded compounds, hotels, offices or residential buildings and forced to carry out online fraud under threats of violence or other forms of coercion.

Scam operations are creating a new victim profile

Unlike traditional trafficking patterns, many victims recruited into scam operations are well educated, multilingual and digitally skilled. Criminal groups exploit these abilities to conduct large-scale online fraud, while corruption and official complicity in some locations help shield the operations from law enforcement.

According to the Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2024, trafficking for forced criminality is now the third most commonly detected form of human trafficking globally. Last month, UN Member States reached a shared understanding that people compelled to commit crimes because of trafficking are victims and should be treated accordingly.

ICAT said this form of trafficking extends beyond scam centres and includes drug trafficking, theft, financial crime and recruitment into armed groups and organisations designated as terrorist groups.

Victims often punished instead of protected

A major concern highlighted by ICAT is the failure to identify trafficking victims. Many people forced into criminal activities are arrested, detained, deported or prosecuted for offences they committed under coercion instead of receiving protection and assistance.

The coalition warned that this approach violates victims' rights, discourages people from seeking help and allows organised criminal groups to continue operating with little accountability. Women trapped in forced criminality also face an increased risk of sexual exploitation and other forms of gender-based violence.

Children are especially vulnerable, with traffickers increasingly using digital platforms to recruit and exploit them at younger ages. Refugees, asylum seekers, stateless people and migrants also face heightened risks because of disrupted support networks, limited legal protection and economic insecurity.

UN calls for stronger action

ICAT urged governments to recognise trafficking for forced criminality as a distinct form of exploitation within national laws and policies while ensuring responses remain victim-centred, trauma-informed, gender-responsive and child-sensitive.

The group also called for stronger public awareness campaigns, improved data collection, legal guarantees that victims will not be punished for crimes they were forced to commit, better access to justice and compensation, and stronger referral systems to support victims across borders.

To disrupt criminal networks, ICAT recommended expanding financial investigations, strengthening cybercrime and organised crime capabilities, tackling corruption and improving cooperation with technology companies, financial institutions, telecommunications providers and transport operators. It also urged greater international cooperation through existing UN conventions on organised crime, cybercrime and corruption.

ICAT said its members and partners remain committed to working with governments and civil society to eliminate trafficking for forced criminality and respond to its rapid growth, particularly in scam operations.