Interpol is warning that internet-based romance scams and sham investment offers are hitting victims on an unprecedented scale. The agency says many of these schemes are tied to organized criminal groups operating in parts of Southeast Asia and are pulling billions of dollars out of economies worldwide.
Malay Mail reported that Interpol official Nicholas Court, who heads the Taskforce Coordination Directorate, warned that the fraud threat has grown so severe that some governments see it as a national security issue.
Here's what to know
The comments came during the International Conference on Combating Online Scams, held in Phnom Penh on Sept. 23 and 24.
Court singled out digital-asset-related investment fraud as one of the most worrying developments. "We see a lot of different types of investment fraud, especially involving cryptocurrencies, that is becoming more prevalent. Romance fraud has existed for decades but is becoming worse because of the use of social media and dating apps and people using the internet to find love and romance," he told Malaysian outlet Bernama.
Interpol's second Global Financial Fraud Threat Assessment put worldwide losses from financial fraud in 2025 at about $442 billion. Court said "millions of dollars are lost daily to fraud worldwide," adding that Southeast Asia is also feeling the impact.
More background
Interpol says scams that first emerged in the region have grown into criminal enterprises with worldwide reach. Facilities uncovered in multiple regions have brought in thousands of young people to carry out online fraud.
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According to Court, syndicates have used countries such as Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar as bases for scams aimed at vulnerable victims around the world. In romance fraud cases, scammers typically create fake personal relationships through social media, dating apps, or messaging platforms, then ask for money by claiming to face emergencies or other financial problems.
Court described that toll in stark terms, saying: "People are committing suicide somewhere in the world every day as a result of being the victim of fraud, and businesses are closing down all the time."
What's being done?
Interpol says it has helped coordinate cross-border enforcement actions. One of them, Operation Haechi, ran from April through August 2025 and uncovered $342 million in illicit funds while blocking 68,000 bank accounts in 40 countries.
Authorities used the operation to target cyber-enabled financial crimes, including voice phishing, romance scams, online sextortion, investment fraud, money laundering tied to illegal online gambling, business email compromise, and e-commerce fraud.
"A lot of countries see it as a national security threat even now because the amount of money that is leaving economies and countries and going into the pockets of criminals is vast," Court added.
Where can I learn more?
These stories offer more context on how crypto-linked scams and other digital-asset abuses are playing out around the world.
• In Myanmar, authorities proposed the death penalty for operators of crypto scam compounds.
• In the U.K., police warned that a sophisticated cryptocurrency scam drained millions from one resident.
• Former SEC officials warned the 'crypto craze' can fuel devastating losses when hype collapses.
• In Malaysia, a state power company lost $1.1 billion to illegal crypto mining theft.
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