Myanmar Passes Harsh Anti-Scam Law Targeting Crypto Scam Industry
The Myanmar government has passed an anti-scam law aimed at dismantling the country's lucrative crypto scam industry, which relies heavily on human trafficking and physical abuse. The legislation targets the underlying supply chain of these operations by classifying digital currency fraud and human trafficking under the same harsh legal framework.
Under the new law, running an online scam center or orchestrating digital currency investment schemes carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. Anyone using violence, torture, unlawful arrest, detention, or cruel treatment to force individuals into operating online scams faces between 10 years and life in prison.
If forcing a victim to commit online scams through violence or illegal detention results in that person's death, the law strictly mandates capital punishment. The anti-scam bill is seen as a significant step towards disrupting 'pig butchering' cons, manipulative romance and investment schemes that generate billions of dollars annually.