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At the start of February, Thailand cut internet connections, electricity, and fuel supplies to some areas around the compounds. Thousands of people have since been rescued by officials in one of the most widespread crackdowns on the compounds so far. Mechelle B Moore, the CEO of anti-trafficking nonprofit Global Alms Incorporated, says some shelters are struggling to cope with the amount of people being freed. But past efforts to disrupt scam operations by shutting off internet connections have not been effective, partly due to Starlink connectivity.

“We have not heard of any companies shutting down or suspending operations because they don’t have access to the internet,” says Moore, who adds that multiple trafficking survivors she has spoken with have mentioned their use of Starlink. “Victims will all confirm that they’re flipped over to Starlink or they use cellular dongles with SIM cards in them. When one doesn’t work, they just flick over to the other. It doesn’t stop operations at all.”

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For the article from *The Economist*, Mechelle B.J. Moore, CEO of Global Alms Incorporated, discussed with the writer the growing threat of online scams. She emphasized that scammers are increasingly sophisticated and skilled at exploiting technology to manipulate and deceive individuals, making it harder for people to recognize and avoid scams. Moore highlighted that online fraud is now pervasive, targeting vulnerable populations and causing significant emotional and financial harm. She pointed out the lack of robust systems in place to prevent these scams and the failure of both governments and tech companies to adequately address the problem.

She also mentioned that while technological solutions like AI can help detect scams, they are not enough on their own. Moore advocated for a comprehensive approach that includes better consumer education, improved law enforcement, and more stringent regulations for tech companies, to help reduce the overall impact of these scams on society. Her perspective painted a picture of an urgent need for global cooperation to combat the increasing threat of online fraud, which she believes is becoming as damaging to society as illegal drugs.

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“It’s real people scamming real people, and those people have feelings, they have emotions, they have memories,” said Mechelle Moore, the Mae Sot-based chief executive of an anti-trafficking nonprofit called Global Alms Incorporated.

“They’re put into survival mode, where you either think you’re going to die or be extremely hurt in some way, and you choose to comply,” she said. “It’s absolutely disgusting and devastating.”

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Those working to counter the industrial scale trafficking, such as Mechelle Moore of the charity Global Alms are less polite. "If you don't have dedicated teams to stop this, then you're complicit, " she says.

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DW Exclusive Myanmar Cyber slavery

They scam unsuspecting victims across the globe — but they’re victims themselves. Thousands of people are trafficked worldwide into Myanmar's war-torn east, where they are forced to trick people in Europe, the US and China into scam schemes. At KK Park, one of the most notorious facilities, those who refuse risk torture and even murder. DW’s investigative unit went to the borderlands of Thailand and Myanmar to track down the perpetrators behind this multimillion-euro operation. Along the way, they uncovered a vast criminal network leading to a notorious Chinese Triad boss.

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In KK Park, on the Myanmar-Thai border, those who refuse to scam face torture, starvation and even murder. DW investigates one of Asia's most brutal scam compounds and features Global Alms Incorporated Chief Executive Officer, Mechelle B Moore, and her work with the GAI Counter Trafficking Unit.

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“It's terrifying to think what the scale of this is like, and then how much we can't do to help them. We can do our bit, but that's a drop in the ocean compared to what they need,” says Moore, who’s working day and night to save Rakesh’s friends and the dozens of people that reach out every day begging for help.

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Global Alms Incorporated Chief Executive Officer, Mechelle B Moore, the Tak Provincial Immigration Office together with local security agencies screened potential victims of trafficking according to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM).

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Global Alms Incorporated Chief Executive Officer, Mechelle B Moore, with Government Agencies discussing guidelines for driving the integrated centre to separate victims of human trafficking in the Tak Province for assistance and protection of trafficking victims in the Mae Sot National Referral Mechanism Steering Committee.

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Global Alms Incorporated Chief Executive Officer, Mechelle B Moore, along with the Tak Provincial Immigration Office, attended the multidisciplinary team meeting to consider separating persons who are reasonably believed to be victims of human trafficking during the Reflection Period under the National Referral Mechanism (NRM).

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Global Alms Incorporated Chief Executive Officer, Mechelle B Moore, the Tak Provincial Immigration Office together with local security agencies screened potential victims of trafficking according to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM).

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Global Alms Incorporated staff attend a workshop to develop operational requirements documents and review the strategy of the Mae Sot Anti-Human Trafficking Network.

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