Key insights:

• • • AI can improve officer safety听鈥� By helping them prepare for high-risk situations and make better decisions under pressure, advanced technology can enhance officer safety.

    • AI can increase operational efficiency听鈥� AI can reduce administrative burdens and improve efficiency overall, allowing officers to spend more time on police work.

    • Responsible implementation is essential听鈥� To ensure AI strengthens public trust while protecting civil liberties, proper guardrails and oversight need to be enacted.

Each year, during , we pause to honor the brave men and women in law enforcement who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their communities. As we pay tribute to those we have lost, we are reminded of the inherent dangers officers face every day.

In recognition of the importance of reflection and advancement, it is imperative that we examine the responsible application of emerging technologies, especially AI, to enhance officer safety, support their objectives, and reinforce overall public safety.

AI is already being integrated into public safety systems in meaningful, measurable ways. When guided by strong ethical principles, transparency, and commitment to community trust, AI can serve as a force multiplier and a protective partner for members of law enforcement. The goal is not to replace officers, of course, but to equip them with better tools, that allow them to reduce risk and return home safely after every shift.

Improving situational awareness and operational readiness

One of the most immediate benefits of AI in law enforcement is its ability to enhance situational awareness. When officers respond to a call, the first minutes on scene are often the most critical 鈥� and the most dangerous. AI can help reduce uncertainty by providing rapid access to relevant information.

For example, AI-powered systems can analyze incident data, criminal records, and community reports to give officers a clearer picture of what to expect when they arrive on scene. This includes identifying patterns of violence, recognizing repeat offenders, or flagging locations that may have a history of high-risk activity. Such insights allow for better preparation, smarter deployment, and more informed decision-making under pressure.

Additionally, AI can assist in public records and open-source searches, pulling critical data from comprehensive databases, the internet, and connected devices in seconds rather than hours. This immediate access to information enables faster, more effective responses. In short, AI can save valuable time when seconds count.

Streamlining administrative work to focus on the mission

Law enforcement officers spend a significant portion of their time on administrative duties, such as writing incident reports and managing court schedules and citations. These tasks, while necessary, take officers away from community engagement and proactive policing.

AI can help reduce this administrative burden by automating routine documentation. Natural language processing tools can draft reports based on officer input, ensuring consistency and freeing up time for frontline duties. Similarly, AI-driven scheduling systems can optimize shift assignments, account for court appearances, and manage on-call rotations. This AI-enabled administrative assistance goes a long way in ensuring that staffing levels are appropriate and that officers are not overburdened.

When guided by strong ethical principles, transparency, and commitment to community trust, AI can serve as a force multiplier and a protective partner for members of law enforcement.

By reducing the administrative load, AI allows officers to focus on what they do best 鈥� serving and protecting their communities. This not only improves job satisfaction among officers themselves but also increases operational efficiency and public safety outcomes.

Building guardrails for responsible AI use

As with any powerful advanced technology, the integration of AI into law enforcement must be guided by clear policies, oversight, and accountability. The goal is not to deploy AI indiscriminately, but rather to ensure its use enhances safety without compromising civil liberties or public trust.

This requires proactive collaboration between technologists, law enforcement agencies, policymakers, and the communities they serve. Standards must be developed for data privacy, algorithmic transparency, and bias mitigation. AI-enabled systems should undergo rigorous testing and independent review before deployment. Further, officers must be trained not only on how to use these tools, but also on the limitations and ethical implications of using these tools as well.

Finally, public trust is essential. Members of the community need to know that AI is being used to protect their safety and that of law enforcement 鈥� it is not a tool to surveil them without cause. Communicating transparently how the AI systems are designed, what data they use, and how decisions are made will be key to maintaining legitimacy and trust with the public.

A future of safer streets and stronger trust

The integration of AI into law enforcement is not about replacing human judgment 鈥� rather, it鈥檚 about augmenting officers鈥� judgment. When used responsibly, AI can reduce risk, improve preparedness, and support officers in carrying out their duties more safely and effectively.

In the years ahead, we can expect to see broader adoption of drone first responders, real-time language translation tools, and predictive systems that further help enhance officer and community safety measures. However, technology alone is not the answer. Success will depend on how thoughtfully these tools are implemented, how well citizens鈥� rights are safeguarded, and how deeply communities are involved in the process.

This week, as we honor those officers who have fallen in the line of duty, let us also commit to doing everything we can to protect those who serve today. AI, when applied with care, can be a powerful ally in their mission, keeping officers safe, allowing them to make better decisions, and together, building stronger, safer communities for all.

The data provided to you may not be used as a factor in establishing a consumer鈥檚 eligibility for credit, insurance, employment, or for any other purpose authorized under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

You can find more on the challenges facing law enforcement here

Key insights:

• • • AI as a force multiplier 鈥� Advanced analytics now reveal financial and behavioral anomalies that traditional monitoring systems routinely miss, giving executives a clearer view of emerging risks.

    • Geospatial and digital intelligence converge 鈥� Intelligent networks like OSINT, ADINT, and location-based data expose hidden networks and movement patterns, improving the detection of money laundering, trafficking, and smuggling operations.

    • Enterprise risk strategies must evolve 鈥� Organizations that integrate AI-driven intelligence across compliance, security, and operations can respond faster, reduce blind spots, and operate with greater resilience during high-risk events.

Illicit financial activity has always evolved faster than the systems designed to stop it. And today, the speed and sophistication of criminal networks are accelerating in ways that traditional compliance processes can no longer match. Major international events, such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup, bring millions of visitors, heightened commercial activity, and a surge in cross鈥慴order movement, all creating fertile ground for exploitation.

AI as an intelligence multiplier

In this environment, financial institutions are on the front lines of detection and mitigation, and corporations must strengthen their ability to detect hidden risks. AI 鈥� particularly when combined with digital intelligence sources, behavioral analytics, and geo-referenced data 鈥� has emerged as the most powerful accelerator of that transformation.

Among all of this high-volume activity, AI is redefining how institutions detect early-stage indicators of illicit activity. Instead of relying solely on manual reviews or rule-based monitoring, organizations are increasingly deploying systems capable of analyzing vast volumes of structured and unstructured data at once. Three capabilities are shaping this new frontier:

Open-source intelligence (OSINT) 鈥� Criminal activity, even when intentionally concealed, tends to leave trace signals online. OSINT tools can examine social platforms, online marketplaces, media sources, forums, and digital discussion channels to uncover suspicious behavioral patterns, potential recruitment or exploitation signals, inconsistencies between official identification and online presence, or clusters of accounts linked by shared attributes. For many executives, OSINT has become an indispensable layer of enhanced due diligence, risk scoring, and early threat detection long before suspicious activity appears in financial records.

Advertising intelligence (ADINT) 鈥� ADINT focuses on metadata produced by mobile applications and digital advertising ecosystems. While it does not expose personal identifiers, it reveals mobility patterns, device behavior, and clustering anomalies. This type of intelligence becomes particularly powerful during large-scale events because of the ability to monitor the movement of devices across high-risk corridors, identify unusual concentrations of activity near event venues or border regions, or detect digital behavior consistent with organized criminal logistics. ADINT introduces a geographic and behavioral dimension to risk that enables institutions to understand not only who a customer appears to be, but where they go, how they behave, and whether those patterns align with legitimate economic activity.

AI-enhanced investigations 鈥� Modern platforms now merge financial data with OSINT and ADINT inputs and then apply descriptive and generative AI (GenAI) to draw connections that would be impossible to detect manually. These systems can classify digital communications by sentiment or intent, identify unusual financial behavior within seconds, convert large datasets into actionable intelligence summaries, translate and interpret foreign-language content, and map networks through recurring metadata or visual similarity. For decision-makers and organizational stakeholders, this shift represents a dramatic reduction in blind spots and a faster escalation pathway when emerging threats surface.

Why financial institutions and corporations must lead

Human trafficking, migrant smuggling, and money laundering cannot function at scale without the financial system. Even when exploitation occurs offline, profits eventually make their way into the formal economy through remittances, structured cash movements, shell companies, digital wallets, recruitment payments, or short-term rental arrangements.

AI enhanced investigations can help institutions identify subtle but meaningful indicators, such as coached or inconsistent customer responses, accounts linked through shared devices or addresses, rapid deposits followed by immediate withdrawals, purchases that do not correspond to a customer鈥檚 risk profile, payments directed to unverifiable recruiters, unusual patterns of short-term housing across multiple individuals, or transaction flows that follow established exploitation routes.

Illicit financial activity has always evolved faster than the systems designed to stop it. And today, the speed and sophistication of criminal networks are accelerating in ways that traditional compliance processes can no longer match.

All this information already exists inside institutional data today; AI simply makes it visible and usable much more easily and quickly.

While financial institutions are central in detecting illicit finance, companies across multiple sectors face heightened exposure during large events. Hospitality, logistics, transportation, construction, real estate, and digital services all see risk intensifying as demand surges and oversight becomes more complex.

Those senior leaders who responsible for operational continuity should integrate AI-powered monitoring into their internal controls. This can help detect unusual workforce recruitment patterns, unexpected badge or access activity, subcontractor behavior that conflicts with declared operations, repeated presence in high-risk zones, or digital communications that hint at coercive or exploitative conduct.

In the fight against illicit finance, technology is no longer optional. Indeed, it is our most powerful ally.

You can find out more about the fight against illicit finance and money laundering here

Key insights:

• • • Protecting SNAP requires modernization and accountability 鈥� This includes providing chip-enabled cards, stronger monitoring, recipient education, retailer oversight, cross-agency coordination, and fair reimbursement for victims.

    • Skimming is a growing problem 鈥� In the context of financial fraud, skimming refers to the illegal capture of personal data, typically through concealed electronic devices placed over legitimate card readers.

    • The harm can be immediate and severe 鈥� If their food benefits are stolen through skimming, vulnerable households can lose essential food funds, deepening food insecurity in their community.

Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards serve as a critical resource for the millions of Americans who depend on the nation鈥檚 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to keep food on the table. The typical SNAP household is low-income and often includes children, seniors, or individuals with disabilities, who have earnings that fall at or below the federal poverty level. Based on household size, income, and other qualifying factors, these families receive monthly monetary assistance to help cover basic nutritional needs at authorized retailers.

Think of an EBT card as a debit card specifically designed for food benefits. Recipients use it to access their monthly balance at approved stores, making the process straightforward and dignified. However, like any electronic payment system, EBT is not immune to exploitation. One of the most pressing threats is a type of fraud known as skimming, which puts vulnerable households at serious financial risk.

What is EBT skimming?

Skimming, in the context of financial fraud, refers to the illegal capture of personal data, typically through concealed electronic devices that are placed over legitimate card readers. In the case of EBT fraud, criminals generally install tampered card terminals to steal EBT card information, including account numbers and PINs.

Unlike most modern credit and debit cards, EBT cards still rely on magnetic stripe technology, not more secure embedded chips. This outdated system makes them especially vulnerable to cloning, or the creation of counterfeit cards that contain the victim鈥檚 account number and PIN. Once a thief captures the data, they can create these counterfeit cards and drain benefits almost immediately, often within minutes of the monthly benefit deposit.

The result is that much needed food benefits, meant to last an entire month, are stolen without warning or recourse.

Why is EBT skimming so devastating

The consequences of EBT skimming go far beyond financial loss. For recipients, the theft of SNAP benefits can have immediate and severe impacts on their household food security and well-being. Other reasons why this form of fraud is particularly harmful include:

• • • Irreplaceable funds 鈥� For low-income households, SNAP benefits represent a critical portion of their monthly food budget. Once stolen, these funds are often impossible to replace. Families may be forced to skip meals, rely on emergency food pantries, or divert money from other essential needs like rent or medicine.
    • Outdated security technology 鈥� Despite advances in payment security, most EBT cards still use magnetic stripes, which can be easily copied with inexpensive skimming devices. By contrast, EMV chip technology, standard on most consumer credit and debit cards, makes cloning significantly more difficult.
    • Speed and precision of theft 鈥� Thieves often time their attacks to coincide with the monthly benefit deposit cycle. Once benefits are loaded, stolen card data is used rapidly, sometimes within minutes, making recovery nearly impossible.
    • Targeting vulnerable populations 鈥� EBT skimming preys on some of the most vulnerable members of society, including seniors, disabled individuals, and families living paycheck to paycheck. Many recipients may not have the resources or knowledge to monitor account activity regularly or to lock their cards after use, leaving them at greater risk.

Beyond skimming: A broader challenge of fraud, waste & abuse

While skimming is a serious and visible form of EBT fraud, it is only one symptom of a larger systemic challenge that fraud, waste & abuse cause in federal benefit programs.

Other forms of fraud include: retailers trafficking in EBT benefits for cash, which is a violation of SNAP rules; misrepresentation of income or household size during application; duplicate or ineligible benefit issuance; and administrative errors that lead to overpayments.

Each instance, whether intentional or not, erodes public trust in the entire benefit system, strains limited program budgets, and diverts resources from those individuals who need them most.

With federal funding for social programs under constant scrutiny and subject to periodic budget constraints, it is imperative that every dollar is protected and used appropriately. Preventing fraud is not just about saving money 鈥� it鈥檚 about ensuring that limited public resources serve their intended purposes of reducing hunger and supporting economic stability.

How to prevent fraud, waste & abuse in SNAP

Addressing EBT skimming and broader program vulnerabilities requires a well-rounded strategy that features technology, policy, education, and oversight working together.

On the technology side, one of the most impactful steps forward would be transitioning EBT cards from outdated magnetic stripes to EMV chip technology. This upgrade alone would significantly reduce skimming risks, and federal investment in that infrastructure is a necessary part of making it happen. Alongside that, state and federal agencies should be leveraging data analytics and real-time transaction monitoring to flag suspicious activity, like multiple withdrawals across different locations within a short window of time.

Education also plays a bigger role than many people realize. A large portion of EBT users simply do not know how to protect themselves. Basic habits like covering the keypad when entering a PIN, routinely checking account balances, and reporting lost or stolen cards right away can go a long way in reducing exposure.

One of the most pressing threats is a type of fraud known as skimming, which puts vulnerable households at serious financial risk.

From an oversight perspective, the U.S. Department of Agriculture 鈥� the government agency that oversees SNAP 鈥� and state agencies need to conduct regular audits of authorized retailers and hold them accountable. Any retailer found engaging in trafficking or enabling skimming should face deauthorization and legal consequences as well. Equally important is making sure that victims of confirmed fraud are not left without recourse. Clear and consistent policies for replacing stolen benefits can help restore trust in the program and prevent the food insecurity that this type of fraud directly causes.

Finally, none of this works in isolation. Effective fraud prevention depends on strong coordination between state human services departments, law enforcement, financial institutions, and technology providers. Information sharing and joint task forces strengthen the ability to detect threats early and respond quickly when issues arise.

Protecting the safety net

SNAP is one of the nation’s most effective tools in the fight against hunger. However, its success depends on both integrity and accessibility. Skimming and other forms of fraud not only steal from individuals, but they also undermine confidence in the entire system.

Policymakers, administrators, and citizens must prioritize modernization, accountability, and victim protection. By addressing vulnerabilities like EBT skimming and reinforcing safeguards against waste and abuse, we can ensure that SNAP remains a reliable and secure resource for the millions of individuals who rely on it.

You can find out more about how public agencies are working to fight fraud in government benefit programs here

Key insights:

• • • Big sporting events create perfect cover for sex trafficking 鈥� The World Cup鈥檚 massive crowds, temporary workers, and stretched local infrastructure make it easier for traffickers to blend in and exploit vulnerable people while staying largely out of sight.

    • Money trails and online ads are where traffickers slip up 鈥� Trafficking often leaves patterns, such as payments tied to commercial sex ads, round鈥慸ollar peer鈥憈o鈥憄eer transactions, and repeat phone numbers or language across online ads. Banks and investigators can spot these red flags, if they know what to look for.

    • Early, cross鈥憇ector collaboration is what actually makes a difference 鈥� The strongest prevention efforts happen before kickoff, when law enforcement, financial institutions, and nonprofits share intelligence, use formal information鈥憇haring tools, and build trusted local networks to respond quickly and protect victims.

As millions of soccer fans descend upon stadiums across North America for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in June and July, perpetrators of human rights crimes also are getting ready to operate in the shadows of host cities. Criminal networks are preparing to exploit the crowds, traffic, and chaos during the event by trafficking vulnerable individuals for commercial sex.

Human traffickers and organized crime groups often exploit major sporting events as opportunities to make quick money because the massive influx of visitors, temporary workers, and strained infrastructure creates perfect conditions for traffickers to operate while being largely undetected. At the same time, the stakeholders involved in countering this illegal activity 鈥� including law enforcement, civil society organizations, and financial institutions 鈥� stand ready to detect it, disrupt it, and protect vulnerable individuals who are exploited by criminal actors.

Indeed, close coordination and collaboration among these entities in advance of the games is key. To that end, the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) and 成人VR视频 are collaborating on a virtual and live event series to support these planning counter-trafficking efforts among stakeholders in several local cities this Spring.

Why major sporting events attract human trafficking activity

Not surprisingly, large crowds draw business opportunities whether they are legitimate or illicit. Collaboration between public and private entities underscore spikes in human trafficking activity. For example, during a recent large sporting event in 2025, 成人VR视频 Special Services partnered with federal law enforcement and other partners to identify nine adult encounters & services offered, which led to the recovery of two juveniles from sex trafficking and three state arrests

Common industries that involve the exploitation of vulnerable individuals include hospitality, construction, illicit massage businesses, escort services, and adult content production. The chaos of events and large influx of people mask the reality that exploitation is happening and makes detection significantly more challenging during these high-traffic periods.

Human traffickers and organized crime groups often exploit major sporting events as opportunities to make quick money because the massive influx of visitors, temporary workers, and strained infrastructure creates perfect conditions for traffickers to operate while being largely undetected.

Critically, understanding human trafficking as a business model depends on the recruitment of vulnerable people and access to money flows. These aspects of the business are also where detection can occur. Financial institutions and money service businesses can identify suspicious transactions related to human trafficking by understanding and recognizing specific transactional patterns, including payments to commercial sex advertisement websites, round-dollar peer-to-peer transactions, and merchant services linked to illicit massage businesses.

This online footprint left by traffickers proves invaluable for detection. Investigators track advertisements across adult services websites, identifying criminal networks through repeated phone numbers, distinctive emojis, and similar wording that may appear across multiple cities. However, smaller-scale operations present significant challenges as well. When the trafficker is an intimate partner or family member with limited transaction volumes, detection becomes exponentially more difficult without external intelligence.

Collaboration is key for prevention and detection

The most critical element for combating human trafficking at major sporting events is collaboration among anti-trafficking experts and employers of these professionals. Effective prevention requires building strong partnerships before these major events occur. Specific actions that can be taken include:

Establishing multi-sector task forces 鈥� The most successful anti-trafficking efforts involve joint task forces that combine federal, state, and local law enforcement with trusted private sector partners and supportive nonprofits or non-government organizations (NGOs) that offer victim services. This toolkit for large scale public events and other anti-trafficking toolkits are excellent resources for local host cities to use to execute these partnerships. These collaborative mechanisms allow different entities to share information in a timely manner.

Leveraging information sharing mechanisms 鈥� Financial institutions can use Section 314(b) authority for peer-to-peer information sharing between banks. This allows financial institutions to piece together fragments of suspicious activity that individually might seem insignificant but collectively reveal trafficking networks. Large federal agencies are consumed by multiple priorities and benefit from information sharing through Section 314(a) and assistance from financial sector partners during special operations to act as a force multiplier. Law enforcement also can benefit from detailed Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) that contain specific dollar amounts, clear timelines, behavioral observations, and explicit keywords like human trafficking.

Preparing host cities by building networks and outreach in advance 鈥� Some World Cup host cities have already established human rights plans with robust collaborative systems within local task forces, government awareness campaigns, QR codes that link to support services, and multidisciplinary safety plans.

In addition, anti-trafficking professionals across all sectors are accessible and willing to help. Resources include national hotlines, such as the , referral directories on website, and the for cases involving minors. The most important step is simply reaching out to establish connections before crises occur.

Preparing for a safer event

The 2026 World Cup presents a pivotal moment to strengthen collaborative efforts against human trafficking across North America’s host cities. By establishing robust information-sharing networks between financial institutions, law enforcement, NGOs, and host communities before the tournament begins, stakeholders can transform heightened awareness into meaningful action that protects vulnerable individuals.

While traffickers will undoubtedly attempt to exploit the inevitable chaos surrounding a major event like the World Cup, a coordinated, multi-sector response grounded in shared intelligence, victim-centered approaches, and proactive preparation can disrupt their operations and ensure that the world’s celebration of soccer doesn’t come at the cost of human dignity and freedom.

You can find out more about听how organizations are trying to fight against human rights crimes here

Key insights:

• • • AI’s greatest strength in criminal justice is pattern recognition鈥� AI can process vast amounts of data quickly, helping law enforcement and legal professionals detect connections, reduce oversight gaps, and improve consistency across investigations and casework.

    • AI should strengthen justice, not substitute for human judgment鈥� Legal professionals are integral to evaluating AI-generated outputs, especially when decisions affect evidence, warrants, and individuals鈥� constitutional rights.

    • The most effective model is human/AI collaboration鈥� AI handles scale and speed, while judges, attorneys, and investigators provide context, accountability, and ethical reasoning needed to protect due process.

The law has always been about patterns 鈥� patterns of behavior, patterns of evidence, and patterns of justice. Now, courts and law enforcement can leverage a tool powerful enough to see those patterns at a scale at a speed no human mind could match: AI.

At its core, AI works by recognizing patterns. Rather than simply matching keywords, it learns from large amounts of existing text to understand meaning and context and uses that learning to make predictions about what comes next. In the context of law enforcement, that capability is nothing short of transformative.

These themes were front and center in a recent webinar, , from the听, a joint effort by the National Center for State Courts听(NCSC) and the 成人VR视频 Institute (TRI). The webinar brought together voices from across the justice system, and what emerged was a clear and consistent message: AI is a powerful ally in the pursuit of justice, but only when paired with the judgment, accountability, and constitutional grounding that human professionals can provide.

AI’s pattern recognition is a gamechanger

“AI is excellent,鈥� said Mark Cheatham, Chief of Police in Acworth, Georgia, during the webinar. 鈥淚t is better than anyone else in your office at recognizing patterns. No doubt about it. It is the smartest, most capable employee that you have.”

That kind of capability, applied to the demands of modern policing, investigation, and prosecution, is a genuine gamechanger. However, the promise of AI extends far beyond the patrol car or the precinct. Indeed, it cascades through the entire arc of justice 鈥� from the moment a crime is detected all the way through prosecution and adjudication.

Each step in that chain represents not just an operational and efficiency upgrade, but an opportunity to make the system more fair, more consistent, and more protective of the rights of everyone involved.

Webinar participants considered the practical implications. For example, AI can identify and mitigate human error in decision-making, promoting greater consistency and fairness in outcomes across cases. And by automating labor-intensive tasks such as reviewing body camera footage, AI frees prosecutors and defense attorneys to focus on other aspects of their work that demand professional judgment and legal expertise.

In legal education, the potential of AI is similarly recognized. Hon. Eric DuBois of the 9th Judicial Circuit Court in Florida emphasizes its role as a tool rather than a substitute. “I encourage the law students to use AI as a starting point,鈥� Judge DuBois explained. 鈥淏ut it’s not going to replace us. You’ve got to put the work in, you’ve got to put the effort in.”

AI can never replace the detective, the prosecutor, the judge, or the defense attorney; however, it can work alongside them, handling the volume and velocity of data that no human team could process alone.

Judge DuBois’ perspective aligns with broader judicial sentiment on the responsible integration of AI. In fact, one consistent theme across the webinar was the necessity of maintaining human oversight. The role of the legal professional remains central, participants stressed, because that ensures accuracy, accountability, and ethical judgment. The appropriate placement of human expertise within AI-assisted processes is essential to ensuring a fair and effective legal system.

That balance between leveraging AI and preserving human judgment is not just good practice, rather it鈥檚 a cornerstone of justice. While Chief Cheatham praises AI’s pattern recognition, he also cautions that it “will call in sick, frequently and unexpectedly.” In other words, AI is a powerful but imperfect tool, and those professionals who rely on it must always be prepared to intervene in those situations in which AI falls short. Moreover, the technology is improving extremely rapidly, and the models we are using today will likely be the worst models we ever use.

Naturally, that readiness is especially critical when individuals鈥� rights are on the line. 鈥淎 human cannot just rely on that machine,鈥� said Joyce King, Deputy State’s Attorney for Frederick County in Maryland. 鈥淵ou need a warrant to open that cyber tip separately, to get human eyes on that for confirmation, that we cannot rely on the machine.” Clearly, as the webinar explained, AI does not replace constitutional obligations; rather, it operates within them, and the professionals who use AI are still the guardians of due process.

The human/AI partnership is where justice is served

Bob Rhodes, Chief Technology Officer for 成人VR视频 Special Services (TRSS) echoed that sentiment with a principle that cuts across every application of AI in the justice system. “The number one thing鈥� is a human should always be in the loop to verify what the systems are giving them,” Rhodes said.

This is not a limitation of AI; instead, it鈥檚 the design of a system that works. AI identifies the patterns, and trained, experienced professionals evaluate them, act on them, and are accountable for them.

That partnership is where the real opportunity lives. AI can never replace the detective, the prosecutor, the judge, or the defense attorney. However, it can work alongside them, handling the volume and velocity of data that no human team could process alone. So that means the humans in the room can focus on what they do best: applying judgment, upholding the law, and protecting an individual鈥檚 rights.

For judicial and law enforcement professionals, this is the moment to lean in. The patterns are there, the technology to read them is here, and the opportunity to use both in service of rights 鈥� not against them 鈥� has never been greater.

You can find out more about the webinars from the AI Policy Consortium here

Key insights:

• • • Effective human rights due diligence 鈥� Human rights can be hardwired into procurement by setting standards that include clear documentation thresholds, a code of conduct that bans forced labor and trafficking, a supplier assessment questionnaire, a locally informed worker safeguards addendum, and a risk-based vendor-grading rubric.

    • Procurement should feature human rights enforceable obligations 鈥� Further, human rights can be hardwired into commitments, such as request for proposals, vendor evaluation, and contract clauses.

    • Engaging unions and community groups early can lead to strong execution 鈥� Effective implementation relies on early stakeholder structures (unions, community groups, etc.), robust worker grievance mechanisms, and independent interviewers, complemented by AI-driven monitoring and continuous, rapid risk response.

Mega sporting events can have a significant impact on local economies, but they also pose substantial human rights risks, including labor exploitation, forced displacement, and sex trafficking. With the Super Bowl and Winter Olympics coming up next month, and the World Cup in summer, it鈥檚 crucial that organizations, communities, and governments prepare now to mitigate any human rights problems with these events.

As an advisor to host cities on human rights with more than a decade of experience now as the chief executive of , I have seen firsthand how the right commitments and responsible contracting practices can help mitigate these risks. By prioritizing human rights and adopting robust contracting practices, the cities that host these mega sporting events can ensure a positive legacy that extends beyond the event itself.

This was a recent topic at an event hosted by 成人VR视频 and the International Labor Organization as part of its in which representatives from host cities, civil society organizations, and governments came together to discuss best practices to turn commitments around human rights into action during the FIFA World Cup games later this year. As a participant in this event, Henekom shared our approach in translating high鈥憀evel human rights commitments into context鈥憇pecific safeguards in order to create the social architecture that aligns organizational practice with community needs.

January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month in the United States.听Check out our Human Rights Crimes resource center to learn how to听stop and prevent human trafficking

Centering human rights by using rigorous contracting standards starts with local jurisdictions working with multidisciplinary stakeholders to embed strong and comprehensive policies and protocols at all stages of event planning. In my experience, an all-inclusive approach typically shares five elements:

1. 1. 1. Clear thresholds in human rights documentation that are designed for speed of business.
      2. Code of conduct with essential ingredients, which include explicit bans on forced labor, trafficking, and other exploitation.
      3. Supplier assessment questionnaire (SAQ) that flags geographic and sector risk, such as temporary labor of food service employees.
      4. Worker safeguards addendum (WSA) that is built from local labor stakeholders who have lived concerns that help to translate the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) into local realities.
      5. Risk-based grading rubric for vendors that weights SAQ and WSA responses and turns them into a contracting risk rating.

In my experience, implementing these policies and tools deeply within the organization means embedding requirements at three critical junctures: i) request for proposals (RFPs); ii) vendor evaluation as part of the selection process; and iii) contract clauses. First, when subject-matter experts draft RFPs, the workflow should force-check human rights and sustainability language (or auto-insert standard clauses). Second, during vendor evaluation, the human rights team grades each SAQ/WSA and assigns a risk-based score. Third, contracts must lock in enforceability with particular emphasis on audit rights, corrective action plans, termination for cause, access to remedy, and accountability mechanisms, such as payment withholding.

Vendor contract agreements between the host cities and primary contractors are the best vehicle to incorporate enforcement of these rights. Likewise, provisions for these rights should also be incorporated into contracts between primary contractors and any subcontractors.

Centering human rights by using rigorous contracting standards starts with local jurisdictions working with multidisciplinary stakeholders to embed strong and comprehensive policies and protocols at all stages of event planning.

Temporary labor at mega sporting events 鈥� which include individuals working in private security, souvenir sales, construction, janitorial, and food service 鈥� adds complexity but does not have to stifle efforts to honor decent work and other human rights. With a solid sourcing policy, vendors get practical tools and technical assistance to implement requirements quickly.

Common examples include building a checks-and-balances loop with worker centers to receive complaints, and data reporting to track hours, wages, recruitment fees, and grievance outcomes. The risk-based grading rubric for vendors ideally determines the monitoring intensity, frequency of site visits, and reporting cadence.

Effective approaches for implementation

Beyond contract language, the following three actions and tools to help instill accountability in human rights commitments are recommended:

Working with stakeholders from day one 鈥� To effectively safeguard human rights, it’s crucial to establish standing stakeholder structures, such as advisory councils and labor roundtables, in order to co-create standards and monitor progress with unions and community groups. By doing so, organizations can ensure workers’ voices are heard, issues are escalated, and commitments are translated into tangible results through collective action and remediation advice.

Centering workers and ensuring access to grievance mechanisms 鈥� Establishing on-site, back-of-house centers for workers with confidential and multilingual intake processes, along with clear resolution pathways, is an effective way to drive accountability and reinforce human rights commitments. Using trained, independent worker interviewers with unannounced access to ensure compliance across venues, shifts, and subcontractor tiers further adds to this accountability.

Together, these approaches provide a means for workers to report concerns, verify compliance with policy requirements, and ensure that human rights are respected throughout the supply chain.

Using AI to fortify accountability 鈥� AI offers powerful tools for detecting and preventing labor exploitation in supply chains through automated monitoring and pattern recognition. Likewise, natural language processing may be able to analyze hotline transcripts and grievance logs to identify trends.

Even with the best policies and accountability tools, however, risks still persist because operating and business conditions are dynamic. New suppliers are added late, or a hot day turns into potentially harmful working conditions. This makes human rights due diligence a continuous requirement with ongoing risk monitoring, fast incident response, and a humble posture to make it right quickly, transparently, and fairly.

If host cities want a legacy that lasts beyond the mega sporting events鈥� closing ceremony, it is critical to ensure that the people who made the spectacle possible were seen, protected, paid, and heard. Doing the right thing is strategy 鈥� contracts and worker-centered approaches are how it shows up on the ground.

You can find out more about how organizations are trying to fight against human rights crimes here

Key insights:

• • • Sextortion has evolved into a global industry 鈥� This crime is being fueled by organized crime networks and human trafficking.

    • Victims exist on both sides鈥� Often, vulnerable workers, who operate as forced labor in scam compounds abroad, are as much the victims as those people being scammed online and extorted for financial gain.

    • Digital literacy and cross-border cooperation are strong tools 鈥� Governments and law enforcement need to better educate the public about these scams and seek better collaboration to prevent exploitation and to dismantle organized crime networks.

A 17-year-old Michigan high school student after inadvertently sharing explicit photos with a Nigerian sextortion scammer after the scammer posed as a teenage girl on a fraudulent Instagram account. Also, a 16-year-old Kentucky high school student after he was blackmailed with an AI-generated nude image.

Sadly, these two families are victims of the more than 100,000 sextortion reports filed with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) since 2020, many now involving AI-generated imagery. These reports are part of the larger increase in , which typically targets males ages 14 to 17 and which has been on the rise since 2020. These tragic cases are part of a vast network of scams that stretches from the to criminal compounds in Asia and Africa.

Sextortion in the modern age

The FBI defines sextortion as a criminal act in which an offender blackmails a victim for payment under the threat of releasing sexually explicit material, such as a photo or video. The material may have been solicited through a romance scam or may be the product of generative AI (GenAI). Sextortion is the latest trend in a series of scams that generate billions of dollars for international criminal syndicates on the backs of forced labor in parts of the world with unstable governance and oversight. An average 800 CyberTipline reports submitted to NCMEC from 2022 to 2023 related to the sextortion of minors.

NCMEC notes that victims of sextortion scams to the CyberTipline and make use of the . Take It Down allows for anonymous requests to remove explicit images from participating platforms and social media companies. encourages changing passwords after scam activity and not responding to any requests for payment, even if threats are made.

Organized crime syndicates and cyber-scams

are the 鈥渄efinitive market leaders鈥� in cyber-enabled fraud and online scams, which have been rapidly expanding since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the United Nations鈥� Office on Drugs and Crime. In areas of Asia with weak governance, scam centers and fraud gangs run sophisticated operations that often front as industrial parks or casinos and hotels. and coerced into defrauding other victims online. The trafficked individuals often are lured with false promises of high-paying jobs and the ability to maximize their language skills.

Broad enforcement efforts have been relatively ineffective as scamming operations simply move within the country or offshore.

Once there, victims are forced into labor to commit financial fraud usually by enticing smartphone users to invest in cryptocurrency scams or engaging in sextortion (which sometimes includes forced sex trafficking to produce sexual content). It is unclear if teenagers are being targeted explicitly or if they are inadvertently targeted through broader, population-wide cyber-scams.

The Myanmar town of Laukkaing (also spelled Laukkai), the capital city of the Kokang Self-Administered Zone is considered the engine-room of forced labor scamming. In Myanmar鈥檚 Kokang region, have turned from narcotics to online scamming, operating casinos, and scam compounds possibly because these crimes are more lucrative and easier to operate at scale.

In October 2023, a deadly crackdown at Myanmar鈥檚 Crouching Tiger Villa (referred to as the 1020 Incident) was the beginning of the crumbling of mafia-led control in Laukkaing. The Chinese government launched coordinated attacks, which resulted in . The leader of the Ming family (which operated Crouching Tiger Villa) took his own life after being captured, but of his extended family with ties to organized crime and illegal activities in Myanmar were sentenced in Chinese courts in September 2025, including 11 who were sentenced to death.

An estimated US $1.4 billion was generated by the Ming family over 10 years through telecommunications fraud, illegal casinos, drug trafficking, and prostitution.

Inside offshore scam compounds

Beyond Southeast Asia, forced-scam operations have grown rapidly across the Mekong region. The听, funded in part by 成人VR视频, notes their study of CyberTipline reports and IP addresses point to a strong presence of scam compounds in Myanmar and Cambodia.

The financial impact of scam compounds is no small factor 鈥� ruling elites in these countries have a financial motivation to look the other way because of its high profitability. The in Cambodia are more than US $12.5 billion annually, or about half of the country鈥檚 formal GDP. Across Mekong countries (China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam), cyber-scam returns generate an estimated US $43.8 billion annually.

The financial impact of scam compounds is no small factor 鈥� ruling elites in these countries have a financial motivation to look the other way because of its high profitability.

Broad enforcement efforts have been relatively ineffective as scamming operations simply move within the country or offshore, and there are reports that these complex money laundering operations help move funds into the formal economy of countries with weak governance.

Despite the challenges in enforcement, some high-profile enforcement cases have helped to generate international coordination against cyber-scams and sextortion. A California teen鈥檚 death by suicide resulting from sextortion led to three years later. Interpol鈥檚 (July and August 2025) resulted in 260 arrests and more than 1,200 electronic device seizures in 14 African countries. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) announced that as the main regional security concern last month. Domestically, the U.S. Department of the Treasury鈥檚 Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued sanctions on nine targets involved in scam operations in , and against (who is also associated with online scam centers).

Digital literacy as a solution

To truly begin to crack scam networks that operate in parts of the world with weak governance, of their citizens and support stronger cross-border investigation strategies. Stronger anti-money laundering frameworks can disrupt scam compounds more effectively than sting operations that just force the scam operation to move elsewhere.

It is critical that digital literacy is emphasized for online users who fall prey to sextortion and among job seekers lured into forced labor in scam compounds by fraudulent job advertisements. Cross-border collaboration among authorities, along with stronger enforcement and shared digital literacy, are the best defenses against this evolving threat.

You can find out more about our coverage of human trafficking, child exploitation, and forced labor at our Human Rights Crimes Resource Center here

Key highlights:

• • • Human rights risks are elevated for data enrichment workers 鈥� Data enrichment workers can face low and unstable pay, overtime pressure driven by buyer timelines, harmful content exposure with weak safeguards, limited grievance access, and uneven legal protections that hinder workers鈥� collective voice.

    • Human rights due diligence is essential for companies 鈥� Companies as buyers of these services must map subcontracting tiers, assess risk by employment model, document worker protections down to Tier-2 and Tier-3 suppliers, and audit and monitor their own rates, timelines, and payment terms to avoid reinforcing harm to workers.

    • Responsible contracting and remedy are a necessity 鈥� Contracts should embed shared responsibility, and include fair rates, predictable volumes, realistic deadlines, funded health & safety and mental鈥慼ealth supports, effective grievance channels, and remediation.

Demand for data enrichment work has surged dramatically with the rapid development and expansion of AI technology. This work encompasses collecting, curating, annotating, and labeling data, as well as providing model training and evaluation 鈥� all of which are critical activities that improve how data functions in technological systems.

However, the workers performing these tasks currently operate under different employment models, according to from Article One Advisors, a corporate human rights advisory firm. Some workers are in-house employees at major AI developers, others work for business process outsourcing (BPO) companies, and many are independent contractors on gig platforms on which they bid for tasks and get paid per piece.

Human rights issues in data enrichment work

Data enrichment workers sit at the sharp end of the AI economy, yet many struggle to earn a stable, decent income. In particular, pay for gig workers often falls short of a living wage because tasks are sporadic, payments can be delayed, and compensation is frequently piece鈥憆ate. Because work flows through , fees and margins get skimmed at each layer and shrink take鈥慼ome pay 鈥� another area of exploitation for today鈥檚 digital labor workforce.

In addition, another human rights issue at work is their right to rest, leisure, and family life and, in some places, even breaching guidance from the International Labour Organization (ILO) or local labor laws. Buyer purchasing practices with aggressive deadlines are a significant upstream driver of this overtime pressure.

National labor protections vary widely, and platform workers in particular often fall through regulatory gaps.

For many, the work itself carries health risks. Labeling and moderation can require repeated exposure to violent or graphic content, with well鈥慸ocumented mental鈥慼ealth impacts. Yet safeguards are uneven. Indeed, workers may lack protected breaks, task rotation, mental鈥慼ealth support, adequate insurance, or the option to switch assignments. Even when content is not graphic, strain shows up as ergonomic problems, stress, and disrupted sleep.

When harm occurs, remedy can be hard to access. Platform-based work setups often provide no clear, trusted point of contact, and reports of retaliation deter complaints. Effective operational grievance mechanisms can be missing, and this leaves workers without credible paths to redress.

Finally, national labor protections vary widely, and platform workers in particular often fall through regulatory gaps. Because work is individualized and online, forming unions or works councils is harder. This weakens workers鈥� collective voice just where and when it is most needed to identify risks, negotiate improvements, and secure remedies.

Due diligence for companies buying data enrichment services is essential

When companies procure data enrichment services, they must recognize that respecting human rights extends throughout the entire value chain and not just with themselves and their direct suppliers. Companies creating trusted partnerships with their suppliers helps to identify issues before they become harmful and create mutual accountability for the humans behind the algorithms.

Article One Advisors鈥� Lloyd explains that the mandatory baseline starts with human rights due diligence, and can be found in areas such as:

• • • Risk identification and assessment 鈥� The first step for companies is to identify and assess risks听by understanding their suppliers鈥� model. This means knowing which groups of workers are full-time employees, contracted workers, or platform-based gig workers. Each model carries different risk profiles.
    • Subcontractor ecosystem mapping 鈥� Tracing the subcontracting chain听to see how many layers exist between the supplier and the workers is essential. Fees and pressures compound at each tier of the value chain, says Lloyd.
    • Documentation of worker protections in Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers 鈥� Assessing and promoting worker protections for every layer of the value chain 鈥� which includes making sure the wage structures are clearly defined and equitable, health and safety measures are adequate, and protections for exposure to harmful content and effective grievance mechanisms exist 鈥� are baseline elements of human rights due diligence.
    • Examination of company鈥檚 own practices 鈥� Finally, it is necessary for companies to ensure that their own procurement standards and contracts are not reinforcing human rights harms. This includes companies confirming that their contract terms, timelines, and payment schedules are not inadvertently forcing suppliers to cut corners.

Responsible contracting and remedy mechanisms

Companies as buyers of data enrichment services also must instill shared responsibility in owning worker outcomes among themselves, BPOs, platforms, and model developers. Comprehensive, clear human-rights standards, living-income benchmarks, and shared responsibility are essential elements of good purchasing practices. More specifically, these require fair rates for work, predictable volume expectations, and realistic timelines to make sure suppliers do not push excessive hours. In addition, budgets should include cost-sharing for audits, key risk management measures (such as mental health support), and occupational health and safety controls.

Smart remediation turns harmful situations into improved conditions by providing back-pay for underpayment, medical and psychosocial care after exposure to harmful content, contract adjustments to remove perverse incentives, and time-bound corrective action plans co-designed with worker input. As a last resort when buyer and supplier need to part ways, a responsible exit is planned with notice, transition support, and no sudden contract termination that strands workers.

Similarly, grievance mechanisms for platform workers 鈥� who are often dispersed across geographics, classified as independent contractors, and lack line managers or union channels 鈥� need to be contractually documented. Effective grievance redressal needs to include confidential mechanisms and remediation processes, in-platform dispute tools, independent individuals to investigate complaints, multilingual facilitation, and joint buyer-supplier escalation paths to bridge gaps in labor-law protection and deliver credible remedies at scale, Lloyd notes.

Promoting quality through worker well-being

Protecting data enrichment workers is not only an ethical imperative but also essential for AI quality itself. When workers face excessive hours, inadequate pay, or harmful content exposure without proper support, the resulting stress and burnout directly impact data quality outcomes. Companies must recognize that responsibility for worker well-being and quality data outcomes extend throughout the entire value chain and does not solely rest with BPOs providers alone.

You can find more about the challenges companies and their workers face from forced labor in their supply chain here

Key takeaways:

• • • Increased dangers to children from immersive gaming platforms 鈥� Immersive gaming and VR platforms, heavily used by children, combine user-generated content and tactile realism in ways that can turn virtual abuse into psychologically traumatic experiences comparable to real-world harm.

    • Encryption is a double-edge sword 鈥� End-to-end encryption creates a policy paradox: While it鈥檚 vital for privacy and vulnerable users, it also shelters predators and complicates efforts to monitor and prevent exploitation.

    • GenAI in gaming presents openings for predators of children 鈥� GenAI introduces a new layer of risk by enabling AI-driven avatars and chatbots that can manipulate children and mimic human predators, making transparency, design safeguards, and stronger regulation increasingly urgent.

Digital spaces increasingly present new challenges for protecting children, according to , an expert in child exploitation methods in digital spaces and Policy Advisor at the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights.

The fact that technology changes so quickly means that the threats are not static. With every technological advancement, new threats emerge, especially with virtual reality (VR) that uses headsets as pathways into immersive experiences. The combination of three-dimensional virtual reality and AI-powered interactions presents unprecedented challenges for parents, regulators, and platform operators.

Danger on the gaming frontier

Online gaming platforms, in particular, comprise a dominant space where these threats show up. For example, one prominent platform, Roblox, hosts roughly 110 million daily active users, and nearly half of them are under 13 years old. These spaces allow users to design worlds and create experiences for each other. This democratization of content creation sounds empowering; however, the reality is more troubling. Some observers have described this platform as both the Internet鈥檚 biggest playground for kids and, in the most critical accounts, an .

There have been dozens of arrests involving predators using these platforms to groom and abuse children, and many state attorneys general have filed lawsuits since 2018鈥� all of which has spurred growing awareness. With these developments, the calculus is changing. From a purely economic perspective, the platforms鈥� failure to protect children has become unsustainable as lawsuits and regulatory pressure mount.

In response to the increased awareness and potential consequences, platform operators have implemented safety features, parental controls, and default settings to restrict interactions in the recent past. Yet, implementation lags behind necessity. In fact, many companies fear the costs of effective moderation or worry about alienating their user base with what users might consider to be intrusive monitoring, says NYU鈥檚 Olaizola Rosenblat.

If a user experiences a simulated sexual act in virtual reality, their psychological and physiological responses can mirror aspects of real-world trauma even though no physical contact occurs.

In many ways, abuse in virtual worlds can mirror that of abuse in the physical world. These three-dimensional virtual reality platforms differ fundamentally from traditional gaming spaces. Users with VR headsets entering fully immersive worlds embody avatars that move through thousands of interconnected experiences. While no actual touching occurs, the experiences feel visceral. Indeed, users report genuine sensations when avatars approach them. The technology simulating the sense of touch through vibrations, textures, or forces adds a tactile dimension to digital interactions. The brain processes these interactions, including negatives ones involving potential abuse, as real.

鈥淚f a user experiences a simulated sexual act in virtual reality, their psychological and physiological responses can mirror aspects of real-world trauma even though no physical contact occurs,鈥� Olaizola Rosenblat explains, adding that the immersive nature makes the experiences more traumatic than traditional online interactions.

Studies further document the frequency of problematic encounters as incidents occurring every seven minutes in some virtual environments.

The encryption paradox

End-to-end encryption protects privacy but also limits oversight, complicating efforts to detect exploitation. Some evidence indicates that offenders are using these encrypted channels to evade detection.

The policy dilemma has no simple solution. Breaking encryption would devastate privacy rights, and eliminating encrypted platforms would harm vulnerable populations worldwide 鈥� but accepting that bad actors will exploit these spaces is unacceptable. While some design-level interventions could help, there are to implement features that make exploitation more difficult without compromising core encryption.

Generative AI (GenAI) introduces a new dimension to these threats. Until recently, exploitation required human predators. Now AI systems themselves can initiate harmful interactions. The integration of AI into digital products accelerates rapidly. One platform is already using GenAI to create assets to help build their worlds, but 鈥渋t’s a matter of time until platforms will have avatars and other players being run by GenAI. This will make it difficult to know if a child is communicating with a human or a bot, unless we have robust transparency safeguards in place,鈥� Olaizola Rosenblat says.

In response to the increased awareness and potential consequences, platform operators have implemented safety features, parental controls, and default settings to restrict interactions in the recent past.

Indeed, it is easy to see the evolution. Chatbots have already entered encrypted messaging platforms, such as when users see prompts to Ask AI at the top of their message screens. These interactions could compromise privacy and create new dangers. Recent cases involving AI companies demonstrate the risks. Chatbots can take users on unpredictable journeys, and the conversations can turn dangerous quickly. Young users lack the experience of recognizing manipulation by AI.

The combination of immersive environments and AI systems creates a perfect storm. Imagine a child in a virtual world interacting with what appears to be another player 鈥� yet, that player is actually an AI bot. The bot has been trained on vast datasets, and it understands psychological manipulation. The bot then adapts its approach based on the child’s responses. No human predator orchestrates the interaction; however, the algorithm itself becomes the threat.

This scenario is not science fiction. The integration of technologies into platforms that children use is already underway. The question is not whether these risks will materialize, rather the question is how quickly and how severely they will occur. The answer depends on choices made by technology companies, regulators, and society at large. This is especially true with the vulnerabilities from the explosion of data collection gathered from VR headsets,听smart gloves,听and听haptic suits听for enhanced physical feedback. Clearly, the time to act is now.

You can find听more about ways to combat child exploitation here

3 key takeaways:

• • • The connection is detectable but required massive data analysis 鈥� IJM analyzed more than 1 million CyberTipline reports and matched them with mobile device data, ultimately linking sextortion reports to forced scamming sites in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos.
    • Forced scamming compounds exploit trafficking victims to commit crimes 鈥� Human trafficking victims are lured by fake job ads, then confined in guarded compounds where they’re coerced into running various online scams.
    • Coordinated multi-stakeholder action is urgently needed 鈥� Electronic service providers must improve account creation safeguards and detection methods, while law enforcement needs to better coordinate cross-border investigations.

New research by links hundreds of financially-motivated child sextortion reports to scam compounds in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos. Indeed, the research shows that significant effort was required to detect these linkages as IJM analyzed more than 1 million CyberTipline reports in the 鈥淥nline Enticement鈥� category from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

鈥淥ur 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,鈥� says Eric Heintz, Senior Criminal Analyst at IJM.

Because forced scamming compounds now blend labor trafficking, high-volume online fraud, and financially-motivated child sextortion, it becomes critical that electronic service providers (ESPs) must harden account creation and improve detection of signals indicative of online fraud and sextortion. In addition, law enforcement must better coordinate their efforts at cross-border investigations and distinguish trafficked workers from criminal organizers.

Links between compound scamming and child sextortion

To illustrate the details of how these two fast-moving crime waves are converging online, forced scamming occurs when victims are trafficked into guarded compounds across Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos, after responding to fake job-ads. These trafficked victims then are coerced into defrauding targets online as part of forced scams. These schemes employ deceit or trickery to defraud the online targets, often using scripted approaches, fake personas, or impersonation to elicit money or sensitive information.

You can read the IJM report here

The types of scams include romance, investment, crypto, fake loans, and impersonation scams, all of which are carried out from inside guarded compounds. Many times, trafficking victims endure confinement and abuse as part of being forced to perpetrate these scams on others.

These human trafficking victims are also trained on psychological manipulation tactics to lure in potential victims, including children in some instances, although it is not evident that children are being intentionally targeted.

Within some of the scam operations, if trafficking victims fail to elicit the desired outcome, such as an investment in a cryptocurrency fraud scheme, they are forced to pivot to sexualized chat and a request for images or a video call. The forced labor victims then use the collected sexual images to blackmail the scam target for money under threat of exposure. Since 2022, reports of such financially-motivated sextortion have surged globally and have disproportionately affected boys and young men, with devastating psychological harm including documented suicides.

Forced scamming is not just a fraud trend; rather, it is a human rights crisis that collides with child protection, cybercrime, and organized criminal groups across Southeast Asia and beyond.

Researchers from IJM combined large-scale ESP platform reports with mobile ad-tech telemetry to trace overlap between child sextortion and forced scamming. They analyzed nearly 1.2 million reports from NCMEC that covered 3.17 million IP addresses and paired them with more than 300 million advertiser ID rows, which included mobile devices used in these locations, the device鈥檚 latitude and longitude, and the IP address and date and timestamp (UTC) of an internet connection by the device. These were collected from 44 confirmed scam sites in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos, resulting in 493 reports tied to devices at 40 sites in these countries.

The strongest links centered in hotspots in Cambodia and Myanmar, and some IP addresses traced back to internet service providers in Thailand. This reflected cross-border routing and service reliance and occurred when activity originated in neighboring countries or special economic zones.

Required actions to protect children

Coordinated action by platforms and law enforcement is essential to expose, disrupt, and prosecute the intertwined machinery of forced scamming and financially-motivated child sextortion. ESPs, such as social media networks, messaging apps, email providers, cloud services, and dating platforms, submit CyberTipline Reports to NCMEC when they detect suspected child sexual exploitation. While this is helpful, more efforts are required, which include:

• • • Cross-referencing account creation and activity with known scam hotspots and scripted patterns
    • Including precise timestamps, IP addresses, and geolocation context in CyberTipline submissions
    • Flagging and disrupting account creation that originates from suspicious infrastructure, beyond simple VPN indicators

At the same time, further law enforcement action is needed to improve disruption and prosecution of these networks, including:

• • • Examining sextortion cases for signs of forced scamming, which may include scripts, crypto addresses, or investment lures
    • Studying evidence for indicators of sextortion as a tactic, such as the use of sexually explicit scripts or imagery
    • Considering that some suspects are themselves trafficked victims who have been coerced into scam operations
    • Using advertiser ID data and timestamp matching to pinpoint devices and compounds
    • Devising ways to coordinate cross-border law enforcement actions in hotspot countries, known scam regions, and local jurisdictions.

Forced scamming is not just a fraud trend; rather, it is a human rights crisis that collides with child protection, cybercrime, and organized criminal groups across Southeast Asia and beyond.

The nexus between forced scamming and financially-motivated sextortion of children is detectable 鈥� as demonstrated by IJM鈥檚 new research. Now is the time for action among ESP platforms, law enforcement, and NGOs to align data and coordinate cross-border responses to better identify devices, compounds, and networks in real time.

You can learn more about how organizations can reduce and mitigate child exploitation in the TR Institute鈥檚 human rights crime resource center