"In five clearly structured chapters, the authors describe how workers are treated and sold like slaves. They depict the oppressive daily life in the scam centres and name the many profiteers behind the scenes. These include not only the scam bosses themselves, but also landowners and property owners who rent out the complexes at high prices, and investors who profit from the fraudulent business. It also becomes clear how difficult it is for those affected to escape these facilities. The authors draw on a variety of sources. Their findings are based on police reports, social media research, interviews with those affected and policy analyses.
According to the three researchers’ findings, many of the complexes are located in Cambodia, Myanmar and Macau, where local power elites and international criminal groups frequently collaborate. In Myanmar, for example, armed militias have controlled parts of the border regions for decades. In this ‘climate of impunity’, the fraud business flourishes. Even with the support of humanitarian organisations, it is extremely difficult for those affected to escape. The compounds are strictly guarded, and failed escape attempts are brutally punished. And even those who do manage to get out often find themselves destitute in a foreign country: without documents, without money, without contacts. Added to this is another problem: many survivors do not speak about their experiences, because although they are victims, in many countries they are legally regarded exclusively as perpetrators.
The authors’ central argument is that the scam industry represents a particularly stark example of ‘predatory capitalism’ – that is, a form of capitalism that systematically exploits the vulnerable. Their aim is to shed light on the cruel consequences of capitalist logic and to highlight privileges within the economic system. To this end, they draw on political developments in the countries where these industries operate, primarily Cambodia and Malaysia. They also discuss the policies of nation states, whilst noting how the UN and other countries – the US in particular is affected by the scam trade – are responding. They analyse the positions of various state and non-state actors in the region, such as regional (economic) elites, politicians and the police. Particularly compelling, however, are the personal stories of former victims. In this way, the authors succeed in bridging the gap between the abstract political level and lived reality." (Review by Miriam de Hohenstein, 19.5.2026, at https://www.welt-sichten.org/tipps-und-termine/45425/wie-opfer-zu-taetern-werden)