There’s little question that online, robocall and other call scams are highly organized and often run by overseas crime operations. They typically prey on older Americans.
According to a recent study by Biocatch, a biometric company, there’s been a “200% rise in call scams from 2022 to 2023.” Run by “call center gangs” in Southeast Asia, these operations may run multiple illegal operations from investment swindles to human trafficking.
“These organized cybercriminal entities conduct a variety of scams,” the Biocatch report found, “including tech support, romance, and investment frauds, often targeting victims internationally and exploiting legal jurisdictional complexities to evade consequences.”
“The disconcerting link between these scams and human trafficking is hard to ignore,” Biocatch warns. “Amid the COVID-19 lockdowns, unsuspecting victims lured with job offers are detained in these call centers. Criminal rings are shifting from sex trafficking to human trafficking for scam call centers, with a higher profit margin in cybercrime.”
What all of these scams have in common is a way to deceive you into sending them money or personal information. If you receive an unsolicited call, text or email, ignore it.
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