IJM Uncovers Links Between Child Sextortion and Southeast Asia’s Scam Compounds

Wednesday 20 August, 2025

A first-of-its-kind study by International Justice Mission (IJM), one of the world’s largest anti-slavery organisations, has uncovered a disturbing likely connection between financial sextortion of children – in which sexual images of a child are obtained and used to coerce the child into sending money – and Southeast Asia’s notorious scam compounds, where trafficked individuals are forced to carry out online fraud. The findings reveal a chilling potential convergence of sexual extortion of children and human trafficking, and IJM is calling for urgent action from law enforcement, tech companies, and global governments to investigate this emerging threat.

Funded by Safe Online, the study released on Tuesday identified nearly 500 global reports of child sextortion likely linked to Southeast Asian scam compounds, suggesting that human trafficking victims at the compounds may be coerced into running financial sextortion scams which have impacted children. 

These scam compounds have become a billion-dollar criminal industry, largely using cryptocurrency ‘pig-butchering’ scams to lure victims around the world into losing money and, in some cases, their life savings. Now, IJM’s new research suggests the scam compounds may also be contributing to the global explosion of sextortion – including of children – over the last three years.

“This research indicates a likely convergence of two dark forms of exploitation – child sextortion and human trafficking – enabled by digital platforms and driven by profit,” said Eric Heintz, Senior Criminal Analyst at IJM. “Our research provides the first clear evidence of this likely link but to understand the true scale of the problem, there needs to be further urgent investigation into this troubling nexus by law enforcement, tech companies and global governments.”

While most scam compounds appear to likely be targeting adults for financial sextortion, children are also being caught up in these schemes.

Methodology and scale

IJM’s research was based on a detailed analysis of CyberTipline Reports categorised as “online enticement of children” (which includes child sextortion), submitted to the U.S. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) between January 2022 and August 2024. These cases were matched by IP address and internet connection times.

The research found that 493 CyberTipline Reports are likely linked to forced scamming locations, and 18,017 CyberTipline Reports contained IP addresses used by devices in forced scamming locations – which indicates there are potentially many more than the initial 493 cases identified. At least 40 locations throughout Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar associated with forced scamming were found to also have links to financial sextortion of children.

While the 493 matched cases represent a small fraction of the 1.18 million online enticement reports made to NCMEC globally during the study period, limitations to available data and difficulties in identifying exact locations and devices due to shared internet infrastructure in the region means that IJM believes the true scale of the problem is far greater.

“This is likely just the tip of the iceberg,” said Eric Heintz, “which is why we urgently need more data sharing, better detection tools, and stronger international cooperation to uncover the full extent of this potential crisis.”

Despite the scale of the problem of forced scamming – thousands of people are being trafficked and abused in the compounds themselves, and countless more are having their lives devastated by scams – there is very little action to shut these compounds down. 

“We’ve known for some time where many of these scam compounds are located,” said Heintz, “tech companies and governments must do more to stop the horrific crimes perpetrated at these compounds – especially now that children are likely being harmed.”

Recommendations

IJM is calling on governments and tech companies to investigate the role of scam compounds in the rise of sextortion and use data-matching techniques similar to those outlined in the report, to identify and disrupt high-risk locations and hold those responsible to account. This includes strengthening cross-border cooperation, supporting survivors, and uncovering who is being targeted—and who is orchestrating these crimes. It’s also crucial that consideration is given to the fact that some involved in perpetrating sextortion crimes may be victims of human trafficking and are unwillingly participating in the scam.

“We could be looking at a new frontier of organised online abuse — one that involves both children and trafficking victims.” said Heintz. "We must act swiftly to investigate further, dismantle the criminal networks behind it, protect those at risk, and ensure accountability for those enabling exploitation.” 

Natalie Shoup, Industry and Data Lead at Safe Online, said: “Safe Online is proud to support this critical study by the International Justice Mission, which highlights the urgent need to confront the troubling links between child online sexual extortion and human trafficking. Safe Online's grantees have been at the forefront of tackling digital harms against children, and we are committed to supporting cutting-edge research such as this to protect children in the digital world. This evidence is another tool to help governments and tech companies act decisively in the face of evolving threats - and continues to echo the need for urgent, increased investments towards collaborative solutions that keep millions of children safe online.”

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Notes to the editor:

• The study highlights several high-risk locations where sextortion-linked activity was concentrated – including KK Park, Shwe Kokko, and Myawaddy in Myanmar, as well as Bavet City, Sihanoukville, and Poi Pet in Cambodia. These areas are known hubs for scam operations and warrant deeper investigation to determine whether organised crime groups are intentionally using sextortion as a tactic—and whether children are being deliberately targeted.
• Many sextortion cases occur on platforms that don’t report to NCMEC, and shared internet infrastructure in some regions makes it difficult to trace activity to exact locations or devices. These limitations mean the research findings likely reflect only a portion of the actual abuse linked to scam compounds.

Terminology:

• CyberTipline Report: Reports received by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) from the public and Electronic Service Providers (ESPs) related to child sexual exploitation. NCMEC makes CyberTipline reports available to law enforcement agencies around the world as appropriate, based on apparent jurisdiction related to the reported incident.
• Sexual Extortion (or “Sextortion”): The blackmailing of a person with the use of sexualised images of that person in order to extort sexual acts or material, money, or other benefits from them under the threat of sharing the material without the consent of the depicted person. When children are involved, sexual extortion is a form of child sexual exploitation in which children are threatened or blackmailed, most often with the possibility of sharing with the public nude or sexual images of them, by a person who demands additional sexual content, sexual activity, or money from the child. Financially-motivated sextortion focuses on the use of sexualised images to extort money.
• Forced Scamming: Trafficking in persons for the purpose of exploitation of victims through forcing or otherwise compelling them to engage in cyberscams for economic gains of traffickers or exploiters.

About International Justice Mission: 

International Justice Mission partners with local authorities in 33 program offices in 19 countries to combat human trafficking and other forms of violence. IJM’s works with local authorities to protect people in poverty from violence by bringing victims to safety, bringing criminals to justice, restoring survivors to safety and strength, and helping local law enforcement build a safe future that lasts.

IJM teams in Southeast Asia have supported over 1,400 individuals, whom we believe to be victims of forced scamming within Southeast Asia’s scam compounds. IJM also supports local criminal justice system responses, which has led to the convictions of 15 perpetrators involved in forced scamming to date. IJM offices in Southeast Asia are proactively coordinating with government agencies, foreign embassies and partners to help facilitate victims being brought to safety, to enable victim identification, provide support for survivors and enable successful repatriations. Learn more at: IJM.org.au 

The research was funded by Safe Online and Thomson Reuters Social Impact Institute.

Media Contact: Briony Camp | [email protected] | 0468 308 696