Trafficked and Turned Into Scammers: How AI and Starlink Power Romance Scam Compounds

Criminal syndicates running scam compounds along Myanmar's border with Thailand are forcing trafficked workers to use ChatGPT, Google's Gemini and Starlink satellite internet to persuade victims to transfer cryptocurrency within as little as four days, an Associated Press investigation found.

Former workers said artificial intelligence now writes messages, translates conversations into dozens of languages and helps operators manage multiple victims at once, shrinking scams that once took weeks into a matter of days.

What Is A Pig Butchering Scam?

Investigators describe the fraud as a romance-investment scam commonly known as pig butchering. The name comes from the Chinese phrase shā zhū pán (杀猪盘,. a reference to the way scammers fatten up victims with trust before emptying their bank accounts.

The deception often begins with what appears to be an innocent message; a wrong-number text, a dating-app match or a friendly conversation on social media. Over days or weeks, the scammer builds a friendship or romantic relationship before introducing what is presented as a lucrative cryptocurrency investment.

Victims are directed to fake cryptocurrency platforms designed to resemble legitimate trading sites. Early returns are often fabricated to build confidence and persuade victims to invest more. When they attempt to withdraw their money, they are told to pay additional fees or discover the platform has disappeared altogether.

The losses have grown into one of the world's largest forms of online financial fraud. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, cryptocurrency investment fraud generated more than $11 billion in reported losses during 2025, with romance-investment schemes accounting for a significant share. Investigators believe the true figure is substantially higher because many victims never report the crime.

'Everyone Is A Robot There'

Safeer Mohammed Koorimannil, an Indian man who said he was trafficked into one of the compounds before escaping, said artificial intelligence had become part of almost every conversation.

'Everyone is a robot there,' he told AP. Workers rarely wrote messages themselves. Instead, they relied on OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini to generate replies, answer questions and keep conversations going.

Former workers said they also used translation software known as KT Auto, which allowed them to communicate in more than 100 languages. Another application, known as 007TG, suggested replies and helped operators manage dozens of conversations simultaneously.

The compounds measured performance aggressively, according to former workers. Operators were expected to establish trust quickly and move victims towards a cryptocurrency transfer within four days of first contact.

AI Compresses Weeks Into Days

The structure of the fraud has changed far less than its speed, former workers disclosed. Operators still begin by building what appears to be a genuine relationship before steering conversations towards cryptocurrency investments. What artificial intelligence has changed is the amount of work required to reach that point.

Instead of composing personalised messages from scratch, workers increasingly rely on AI to generate conversations, rewrite replies and overcome language barriers instantly. Recommendation software keeps multiple conversations active at once, allowing a single operator to engage with far more potential victims than previously possible.

The technology also reduced training requirements, enabling newly trafficked recruits to begin targeting victims almost immediately.

Starlink Keeps The Scam Compounds Connected

The report also documented the use of Starlink satellite internet terminals inside several compounds near the Myanmar-Thailand border. Former workers said the terminals provided reliable internet access in remote areas where conventional communications infrastructure was unreliable or frequently disrupted. The stable connection allowed operators to communicate continuously with victims across multiple countries and time zones.

Victims who agreed to invest were directed to fraudulent cryptocurrency platforms designed to resemble legitimate exchanges. Once deposits were made, the funds were transferred into cryptocurrency wallets controlled by the criminal organisations, making recovery increasingly difficult.

Two Sets Of Victims

Artificial intelligence has not replaced the people behind the scams. Former workers said it has simply made their work faster.

Many operators working inside the compound accepted what appeared to be legitimate overseas jobs before being trafficked into Myanmar, where passports were confiscated and violence was used to force them to work. On the other end of the conversation, victims believed they were speaking to a genuine romantic partner.

The technology may have changed. The exploitation has not.