Online fraud US Congress investigates Starlink over fraud centers in Myanmar
The USA has launched an investigation into the provision of internet access to online fraud centers in Myanmar by the Starlink satellite network. The investigation has been ongoing since July.
14.10.2025, 14:35
14.10.2025, 14:36
SDA
Starlink is suspected of providing internet access to so-called scam centers in Myanmar, which are said to have defrauded US citizens and people worldwide of billions of dollars, a bipartisan committee of the US Congress told the AFP news agency on Tuesday.
US billionaire Elon Musk's company SpaceX, which operates Starlink, did not initially comment on the allegations when asked by AFP. The Starlink satellite network makes it possible to provide even remote areas with fast internet.
In the civil war-torn country of Myanmar, where there are hardly any state structures left, especially in border regions, criminal gangs operate numerous cybercrime centers. As recently as February, the authorities in the Southeast Asian country carried out a large-scale raid against the scam centers. Thousands of foreigners, many of them from China, were freed from exploitative working conditions.
An AFP investigation revealed that numerous Starlink antennas had appeared on the roofs of known scam centers in Myanmar since the raid in February. The satellite network had thus become Myanmar's largest internet provider within three months.
Many people who worked in scam centers told AFP afterwards that they had been lured with the prospect of well-paid, honest jobs. Then their passports were taken away to force them into illegal activities such as telephone fraud or online gambling. Many reported that their supervisors had beaten them or mistreated them in other ways. Many of the people freed from scam centers in Myanmar interviewed by AFP had bruises and burns.
A 2023 UN report stated that at least 120,000 people work in scam centers in Myanmar. According to the report, many of them are victims of torture and sexual violence.
