Kenyans are among the largest groups of victims rescued from online scam compounds in Asia, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday as it warned that traffickers are increasingly targeting job seekers with fake overseas employment offers.
According to the agency, criminal networks are using fraudulent recruitment schemes to lure people with promises of well-paying jobs abroad before forcing them to take part in online scams under abusive conditions, the agency said. Many victims, IOM added, have had their travel documents confiscated and are held inside tightly controlled compounds, where they face threats, violence and other forms of coercion.
IOM says it assisted more than 3,500 victims of trafficking for forced criminal activity from 39 countries between 2022 and 2025. The largest numbers came from Kenya, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia and Bangladesh, highlighting the growing reach of trafficking networks across multiple regions.
Many of those assisted said they were subjected to severe abuse while being held in scam compounds, including physical violence, sexual abuse, prolonged isolation and food deprivation.
"People trapped in scam compounds are victims of trafficking, forced to commit crimes through violence, threats and coercion. They deserve protection, not punishment," IOM Director General Amy Pope said.
"We must work together to support survivors, stop traffickers and close the gaps these criminal networks exploit. No country can tackle this alone."
The agency also pointed to new estimates from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which found that scam-related offences across East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand caused losses of between $88.3 billion (Sh11.2 trillion) and $114.1 billion (Sh14.8 trillion) in 2025 alone. According to the agency, the figures reflect the growing scale of organised criminal networks, with hundreds of thousands of trafficked people believed to be trapped in scam compounds across the region.
As trafficking for forced criminal activity expands beyond Asia, IOM has launched a new regional strategy covering 2026 to 2030 to strengthen prevention efforts, improve protection for victims, expand cross-border cooperation and support action against trafficking networks.
The IOM warning comes ahead of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on July 30, which is being observed this year under the theme "Trapped Behind the Scam." According to the agency, people forced to carry out online fraud should be recognised as victims of human trafficking and protected rather than treated as criminals.
"IOM calls for continued support to assist victims of trafficking through protection, safe return and reintegration, while scaling up efforts to raise awareness of traffickers' tactics so that people can recognise risks and know where to seek help," the agency said.
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