Episode 18: Ling Li - Criminalized Victims: Human Trafficking Behind Southeast Asia’s Scam Centers

About this episode

This episode explores the alarming rise of scam centers in Southeast Asia, where victims are trafficked and forced into cybercrime, featuring insights from scholar Ling Li.

Scam compounds across Southeast Asia are rapidly emerging as one of the most alarming forms of modern slavery—where victims are trafficked, held under constant surveillance, and forced to carry out cybercrime schemes. In this episode of Conversations on Modern Slavery, Bryon Lippincott (Head of Communications at Free the Slaves) and Kuldeep Singh Chauhan (Asia Regional Director) are joined by scholar, researcher, and advocate Ling Li to unpack the hidden world behind these walls. Together, they trace the evolution of cyber-scam operations from early phone fraud to today's militarized compounds run by transnational criminal networks. Ling shares insights from her upcoming book SCAM, revealing how technology, crypto, and the legal grey zones of regional governance fuel this exploitative system. This conversation brings urgency and nuance to an underreported crisis—and centers the need for survivor-led, systemic solutions. Connect with Ling Li on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ling-li-459637155/ Check out her upcoming book Scam: Inside Southeast Asia's Cybercrime Compounds through the links below: Verso Books https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/3234-scam Amazon…

People in this episode

Host: Bryon Lippincott

Guests: Kuldeep Singh Chauhan, Ling Li

Topics covered

• human trafficking
• cybercrime
• modern slavery
• Southeast Asia
• victim advocacy
• technology

Keywords

• scam centers
• human trafficking
• cybercrime
• Southeast Asia
• Ling Li
• modern slavery
• victims
• transnational crime

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Free the Slaves, Verso Books, Amazon

Books & works: SCAM

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• Episode 17: Jacob Sims - Unmasking Cyber Slavery: Inside the Hidden World of Scam Centers · June 4, 2025 · 36 min
• Episode 16 - Ethical Anti-Trafficking Practices for Faith-Based Organizations · May 12, 2025 · 50 min