YouTuber, fraud investigation start-up among those stepping up to fight scams

Source: The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - Ugandan national Francis Kamugisha was desperate to escape the scam centre in Myanmar, where he was being beaten and forced to work, but many law enforcement agencies he contacted could not help him.

The 33-year-old, who had to hide the fact that he was trying to flee, learnt that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were helping people like him.

He contacted the International Justice Mission, an NGO involved in protecting people in poverty from crime such as human trafficking and modern-day slavery. Five months later, the scam centre operators released him.

"As I fled across the Mekong River from Myanmar to Laos, I was so scared I would get shot and my body dumped in the water. I felt relieved only when I was on the plane back to Uganda. Even then, there was a lot weighing on my mind - I had no money and no home to return to," he added.

The scam scourge has prompted a number of non-profit organisations, start-ups and individuals to work with law enforcement agencies worldwide to tackle the problem.

These include a YouTuber who hacks into scammers' devices to expose their activities, and a start-up with expertise in cryptocurrency fraud investigation.

There are also organisations that tap their network of contacts to rescue people forced to work in scam compounds in South-east Asia.

Mr Jorij Abraham, managing director of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (Gasa), told The Straits Times that these groups and individuals bring unique skills to the fight against scams.

He said: "For example, YouTubers like Pierogi (Scammer Payback) hack into scam centres to shed light on how they operate and expose corruption among the police.

"What he's doing is illegal. The police cannot do that. But he is making visible the extent of these issues."

Ultimately, governments and law enforcement agencies need to implement legislative changes to tackle the root of the problem, Mr Abraham said.

He added: "The biggest challenge is getting law enforcement around the world to share information about scam networks quickly and act on the intelligence to arrest scammers.

"Every country needs its own anti-scam centre, like the one in Singapore, to create a global law enforcement network."