International Day for the Prevention of and Fight against All Forms of Transnational Organized Crime

Join the  Tech Safe Space Campaign designed by UNODC to raise awareness about the safe and responsible use of technology.

  The growth of cyber scam centres around the world is fuelling a global human trafficking crisis on a scale and organizational complexity rarely seen since the height of the transatlantic slave trade. In just a few years, hundreds of thousands of people have been transported into scam operations, many of them forced to perpetrate fraud under threat and in abusive conditions. Often hailing from countries with high unemployment rates or a surplus of tech-savvy graduates, those duped with promises of legitimate jobs may not match stereotypical images of a trafficking victim , leading both them, and those they come into contact with along their journey, to miss important red flags. But vulnerable people in unfamiliar settings, lacking support or access to their passports, are easier to manipulate, intimidate and control. Once they are inside the scam compounds where these operations are conducted, getting them out is difficult. Stopping victims from reaching compounds could be a f...

  Repurposed hotels, casinos, and private compounds across Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines have become centres of global fraud . These compounds are operated by organized criminal networks that exploit hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom are trafficked and forced to perpetrate online scams. Victims include not only those defrauded online but also the scam workers themselves, subjected to threats, violence, sexual exploitation and extreme working conditions. The report details how cyber scams —including ‘pig-butchering’ romance-investment scams, crypto fraud, impersonation and sextortion— now generate tens of billions of dollars annually. These illicit operations thrive due to weak rule of law, widespread corruption, and complicity from powerful figures who operate as ‘role shifters’ —individuals who blur the lines between government, business and crime. Scam compounds often enjoy protection from local elites and security forces, and rely on global money laund...

  This policy brief draws on the five-year experience of the Resilience Fund from 2019 to 2024 to make a compelling case for recognizing and empowering civil society as a critical front-line actor in the fight against organized crime. At a time when transnational organized crime is growing in complexity and reach, and when civic space is shrinking globally, this brief reflects on the tangible impact of community-based responses and outlines a forward-looking agenda for policy, funding and institutional reform. This brief will be presented at the 34th session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Vienna , which provides a unique and vital platform to reaffirm the importance of international cooperation against organized crime. Published one year ahead of the 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi (April 2026), it aligns with the Congress theme: ‘ Accelerating crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law: protecting p...

  Cybercriminality , or cybercrime, is the use of computers and networks to commit illegal acts, such as fraud, theft, and harassment. These acts can range from exploiting vulnerabilities in computer systems to hacking, phishing, and distributing malware, and can cause significant financial and reputational damage. Cybercrimes can be classified as cyber-dependent, where the crime is only possible with technology, or cyber-enabled, where technology is used to facilitate a traditional crime. Cybercrime is a growing global threat, causing trillions of dollars in economic damage annually. This report explores how Eastern Europe have become a significant hub for cybercriminal activity , fueled by historical legacies, economic disparities, and state connections. Analysis from East Asian States Observatories and European Observatories on Cybercriminality.

  Global Organized Crime Index - Asia - Asia/Pacific Observatories.

Cybercriminals run sophisticated operations in the digital shadows. Ransomware , scams, fraud and cybercrime-as-a-service are all on the rise. Threat actors use encrypted messaging, crypto and the dark web to sell stolen data, exploits, stolen credentials, as well as to communicate and launch attacks that target governments, companies and critical infrastructure. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) would like to thank the Global Cybersecurity Index 2024 .  ​​​​​​​​  A fundamental role of ITU, based on the guidance of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, is to build confidence and security in the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).  At WSIS, Heads of States and world leaders entrusted ITU to be the Facilitator of Action Line C5 , " Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs ", in response to which ITU launched, in 2007, the Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA) , as a frame...