Southeast Asian Scam Networks Cost Victims Up to $114B in a Year: UN

Here is the latest from the digital-asset markets: In brief The UN Office on Drugs and Crime says Southeast Asia's once-fragmented crime syndicates have merged into a single, tech-driven economy built on shared fraud and laundering infrastructure. Scam operations across the wider region drove an estimated $88.

1 billion in losses in 2025, much of it crypto investment fraud run from industrial-scale compounds. The agency urged regional police to get specialized crypto training to trace and seize proceeds, warning that disruption-focused strategies are not working.

This shift continues to shape the digital-asset landscape, with analysts examining its near-term effects.