The United States has stepped up its crackdown on international cybercrime networks accused of trafficking Kenyans and other foreign nationals into forced labour in online scam centres.
The US Embassy in Nairobi said hundreds of Kenyans had been rescued from scam centres in Southeast Asia in 2026, as Washington announced fresh sanctions targeting individuals and companies linked to international criminal networks.
“These sanctions target the criminal organizations trafficking Kenyans and others abroad into forced labor in online scam centers,” the embassy said in a statement, highlighting the growing human trafficking dimension of the global cybercrime industry.
The sanctions, announced by the US Department of the Treasury on November 5, target four individuals and 41 companies linked to Cambodia-based Prince Group Transnational Criminal Organisation, which Washington has previously accused of involvement in cyber-enabled fraud, money laundering and human trafficking.
The Treasury also designated Malaysian national Chui Kok Wa, accused of managing a network of scammers operating in Madagascar who defrauded American victims through cryptocurrency-related schemes.
Assistant Secretary of State Riley Barnes said the crackdown was intended to disrupt criminal operations that depend on trafficked workers.
“Scam centers rely on trafficked laborers to fuel their criminal operations. Today’s sanctions build on 200+ prior designations – advancing justice for all victims, including defrauded Americans,” Barnes said.
The Prince Group has been accused of operating an extensive network of scam compounds in Southeast Asia, where trafficked and coerced workers are forced to conduct online fraud targeting victims across the world.
The schemes include fraudulent cryptocurrency investments, romance scams and other forms of digital deception.
According to the Treasury, the latest designations target the financial and corporate structures that have allowed the criminal organisation to continue operating despite previous sanctions.
Some of the individuals and companies allegedly helped senior executives conceal ownership of assets, move money through offshore entities and evade earlier restrictions imposed by Washington.
The separate designation of Chui exposes the geographical spread of the scam industry beyond Southeast Asia.
The Treasury accused him of leading a network of scammers in Madagascar that used digital technologies and cryptocurrencies to defraud Americans of more than $400,000.
The development is significant for Kenya, which has faced growing cases of citizens being lured abroad with promises of lucrative employment before ending up in criminal compounds.
Many victims are recruited through online advertisements and informal employment agencies offering jobs in countries such as Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia.
Upon arrival, some have their passports confiscated and are forced to participate in online fraud. Those who resist risk physical abuse, intimidation and demands for ransom from their families.
The rescue of Kenyans from Myanmar in 2025 exposed the scale of the problem, with more than 120 citizens repatriated in one operation after being held in scam compounds along the Thailand-Myanmar border.
The US Embassy's latest disclosure means the problem has continued into 2026, with hundreds more Kenyans reportedly rescued from similar operations across Southeast Asia.
The crisis also presents challenges for Kenyan authorities as they seek to protect citizens pursuing employment opportunities abroad while strengthening cooperation with foreign governments against trafficking syndicates.
Washington's latest action builds on earlier sanctions against Prince Group leadership and affiliated companies in October 2025 and June 2026.
The US has increasingly sought to target not only the individuals running scam compounds but also the companies, financial intermediaries and offshore structures used to move and conceal proceeds from the criminal activities.
