‘I thought about escaping every day’: how survivors get out of Southeast Asia’s cybercrime compounds – Scam Factories podcast, Ep 3

Locked in a scam compound in Southeast Asia, George spent each day contemplating his escape. He revealed to The Conversation that they searched for ways to break free, but it was a difficult task. Referred to as George for anonymity purposes, he managed to covertly reach out to a rescue organization in Myanmar, where he was being held. This initiated a series of events that eventually led to his liberation, although it took several months before he could reunite with his family in Uganda. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of individuals like George have fallen victim to the harsh world of scamming in Southeast Asia, many of them coerced into criminal activities against their will.

A podcast series called Scam Factories by The Conversation Weekly delves into the inner workings of these ruthless fraud compounds and is complemented by a collection of multimedia articles on The Conversation platform. In the final episode titled “Great Escapes,” the podcast explores the various methods people employ to break free, the sacrifices involved, the challenges they face in returning home, and the efforts being made to combat this industry. The podcast is a result of a collaboration between The Conversation and three researchers: Ivan Franceschini, a Chinese Studies lecturer at the University of Melbourne; Ling Li, a PhD candidate at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice; and Mark Bo, an independent researcher.

Over the past few years, the researchers have been studying the proliferation of scam compounds in the region for an upcoming book. Their work has involved interviewing close to 100 survivors of these compounds, analyzing maps and financial records linked to the scam industry, and monitoring scammers online to understand the operations of these compounds.

Escaping from a scam compound is fraught with danger, and those who manage to get away often face scrutiny from authorities and loved ones questioning whether they were truly victims. The Conversation reached out to all companies mentioned in the multimedia series for comment, with the exception of Jinshui, whom they were unable to contact. No responses were received from any of the companies.

The episode was crafted and produced by Gemma Ware, with support from Mend Mariwany and Katie Flood. Leila Goldstein served as the producer in Cambodia, while Halima Athumani conducted recordings in Uganda. Hui Lin provided assistance with Chinese translation, and sound design was handled by Michelle Macklem, with editing support from Ashlynee McGhee and Justin Bergman. News clips featured in the episode were sourced from CNA, Reuters, and Al Jazeera English.

To listen to The Conversation Weekly podcast, it can be accessed through various platforms or directly downloaded via the RSS feed. More information on how to listen can be found here.