Funded by IPA’s Human Trafficking Research Initiative and in collaboration with International Justice Mission Thailand, researchers are conducting an exploratory study to examine how frontline practitioners identify and assist individuals coerced into cyber-scam operations in Thailand. Results will be available in 2027.

The Challenge

Cyber-enabled scam operations have expanded rapidly around the world, notably in Southeast Asia, where the United States alone reported more than USD 10 billion in losses to regional scam networks in 2024.¹ These operations, which establish large-scale compounds in border zones and special economic areas, are also hubs for human trafficking. Within the compounds, individuals experience forced criminality, sexual exploitation, child labor, debt bondage, and violence, often coerced through confinement, confiscation of identity documents, and debt-based manipulation. In turn, the scale of these abuses has drawn growing attention from governments, NGOs, and international organizations working to counter trafficking in Southeast Asia.

Efforts to address trafficking linked to online scam operations in the region have faced significant challenges. In particular, frontline systems for identifying people who have experienced trafficking remain underdeveloped. Many individuals coerced into scam operations are misidentified as offenders rather than recognized as having experienced trafficking. This reflects the complex overlap between experiences of victimization and offending, as well as the limitations of existing binary screening approaches. In Thailand, this misclassification limits access to protection services and contributes to inconsistent case outcomes across organizations. Such challenges highlight the need for evidence on effective approaches in improving the identification of people who have experienced trafficking, strengthening access to protection services, and supporting more consistent case management.

The Evaluation

In collaboration with International Justice Mission Thailand, researchers are conducting an exploratory study to examine how frontline practitioners in Thailand identify and assist individuals coerced into cyber-scam operations. To do this, researchers are carrying out the following activities:

• Stakeholder consultations: Meetings with NGOs and practitioners to map current screening practices and decision-making needs.
• Case file review: Examination of anonymized case files and documented testimonies to identify coercion indicators and misclassification patterns.
• Process mapping: Development of descriptive maps of coercion pathways and how they intersect with service providers.
• Feasibility assessment: Evaluation of partner readiness and data systems to inform future evaluation design.

The findings will support the design of a subsequent pilot study and future impact evaluation to test how best to identify people experiencing trafficking and intervene with services.

Results

Results will be available in 2027.

Sources

^1. US Treasury Press Release, “Treasury Sanctions Southeast Asian Networks Targeting Americans with Cyber Scams,” US Department of the Treasury, September 8, 2025, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0237

Implementing Partner