United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called for stronger international cooperation to combat human trafficking, warning that forced online scamming has become the fastest-growing form of the crime.
In his message marking the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, Guterres said criminal networks are increasingly targeting people with false promises of legitimate employment before forcing them to carry out online scams.
“Across the globe, people are being lured by false promises of decent work – only to find themselves trapped by criminal networks and coerced into carrying out scams on others,” he said.
The UN chief noted that such operations defraud millions of victims and generate significant illicit profits for transnational organized crime. He added that emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, are enabling fraudsters to expand their operations at an alarming pace.
Guterres called for a coordinated global response involving intelligence agencies, law enforcement authorities, and financial regulators to dismantle criminal networks and cut off their funding.
Referring to the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, adopted by member states in 2024, he urged governments to ratify the agreement, tackle corruption that enables criminal activities, and ensure technology companies address abuse on their platforms.
He also stressed the need to support survivors of scam centres so they can recover and rebuild their lives.
“Human trafficking in all its forms is a gross violation of human rights. By working together we can end the exploitation, once and for all,” Guterres said.
