Democratic senator pushes Musk to block Starlink access to crime groups scamming Americans

A Democratic U.S. senator has called on Elon Musk to take urgent action to prevent transnational criminal organizations in Southeast Asia from exploiting SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service to defraud American citizens. 

Despite the efforts of the Southeast Asian government, crime rings continue to access the internet via Starlink to pull off their schemes. With the growing concerns over satellite internet enabling global scam operations, Elon Musk is now being urged to restrict crime rings’ access to the internet via his internet service.

Elon Musk urged to block Starlink use by Southeast Asian crime rings

In a letter to Musk, Senator Maggie Hassan highlighted reports showing that these scam syndicates that operate out of countries like Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand are using Starlink to run widespread fraud operations that have already cost Americans billions of dollars.

There has been mounting global alarm over the expansion of “scam compounds” across Southeast Asia. These illicit centers, often run by criminal groups with ties to China, have trafficked hundreds of thousands of people into forced labor, according to the United Nations. Victims are often coerced into running online fraud operations, which include phishing emails, fake investment platforms, romance scams, and other cybercrimes targeting Western countries.

In her letter to Musk, Senator Hassan urged SpaceX to enforce its existing terms of service, which theoretically allow the company to terminate Starlink access for fraudulent or illegal activity.

“SpaceX has a responsibility to block criminals from using the service to target Americans,” she wrote. “While most people have probably noticed the increasing number of scam texts, calls, and emails they’re receiving, they may not know that transnational criminals halfway across the world may be perpetrating these scams by using Starlink internet access,”

SpaceX has not yet responded publicly to the senator’s concerns or the allegations raised in the letter.

Scam compounds are still a problem despite regional crackdowns

Since February, Thailand has cut off electricity, fuel, and internet access to five locations along its border with Myanmar, including Myawaddy, which is a known hub for scam centers. These measures aim to disrupt the operations and isolate the compounds from external support.

Despite such efforts, access to satellite internet services like Starlink appears to have allowed criminal groups to maintain communication with victims and collaborators abroad. Starlink’s portability and ability to function in remote, infrastructure-poor areas have made it especially attractive to groups looking to evade local enforcement or surveillance.

The urgency of the issue reached new heights after the high-profile abduction of Chinese actor Wang Xing.

After arriving in Thailand in January, Wang was kidnapped and transported across the border to Myanmar, where he was held inside one of the scam compounds. He was later rescued by Thai police. The incident roused public intervention and intensified regional cooperation to dismantle the criminal networks responsible.

According to the United States Institute of Peace, many of these centers are operated by Chinese-led organized crime groups that have established a stronghold in areas like Myawaddy due to weak rule of law and fragmented governance.

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has acknowledged the growing threat. It reported that scam operations based in Southeast Asia have collectively cost American citizens billions in financial losses, making them a significant national security and economic concern.

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