BANGKOK (AP) — A suspected scam call operation and a suspicious network of companies was discovered with links to a new free trade zone in the nation of East Timor, according to a report published Thursday by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime.

The report comes as scam centers have proliferated across Southeast Asia and spread across the world, and highlights the ability of the criminal enterprises to relocate as some governments in the region launch crackdowns.

Such centers, usually walled compounds in remote areas that conduct computer-enabled scams that are estimated to cost victims tens of billions of dollars per year, have proliferated in recent years, especially in Southeast Asia.

Scam centers in Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia have drawn global attention for running notoriou

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