Industrial-scale fraud linked to Southeast Asia's scam compounds has evolved into something far more complex than a collection of criminal operations — it now resembles an integrated innovation ecosystem, combining AI-assisted deception, cyber-enabled fraud, illicit financial infrastructure, and state-enabled protection networks. For the technology community, this is no longer a distant law enforcement problem. It is a live challenge implicating digital platforms, payments, cybersecurity, and trust and safety.

Drawing on emerging research, this session examines how scam operations function as adaptive criminal ecosystems that mirror features of legitimate innovation clusters: specialization, rapid iteration, shared infrastructure, and cross-border scaling. Panelists will explore the political and criminal enabling environment underpinning scam hubs, the role of AI and malicious technology tools, the human trafficking networks that power these operations, and practical pathways for disruption — challenging technologists to treat the scam economy not as peripheral abuse, but as a strategic threat demanding urgent response.