US Senator Urges Musk to Block Starlink Use by Fraud Rings in Southeast Asia
- tech360.tv
- Jul 29, 2025
- 2 min read
U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan has called on SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to prevent transnational criminal groups in Southeast Asia from using Starlink to defraud Americans.
In a letter sent Monday, Hassan cited reports that Starlink satellite internet is enabling scam operations run by criminal organisations in countries including Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos.
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has reported that these groups have stolen billions of dollars from Americans through online fraud schemes.
Hassan said the scam networks operate “scam compounds” where trafficked individuals are forced to carry out illegal online activities.
“SpaceX has a responsibility to block criminals from using the service to target Americans,” Hassan wrote.
She noted that Starlink’s service rules allow the company to terminate access for fraudulent activity, yet the networks appear to continue using the service.
The United Nations has reported that criminal groups have trafficked hundreds of thousands of people to scam centres across Southeast Asia, particularly along the Thai-Myanmar border.
Thailand has taken steps to disrupt these operations, cutting electricity, internet, and fuel supplies to five Myanmar border areas, including Myawaddy, since February.
The scam centres have drawn increased international scrutiny, especially after Chinese actor Wang Xing was kidnapped in Thailand in January and later rescued in Myanmar.
The United States Institute of Peace has identified Chinese criminal networks as key operators of these scam centres, particularly in the Myawaddy region.
Senator Maggie Hassan urged Elon Musk to block Starlink use by Southeast Asian fraud groups
Criminal networks are using Starlink to run scam compounds in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos
U.S. authorities say Americans have lost billions to these scams
Source: REUTERS
