For over a year, the US has raised concerns that criminal networks in Myanmar are using Starlink to access the internet and conduct scams. An investigation by Agence France-Presse revealed that Starlink receivers were installed on the roofs of scam compounds on a "huge scale." The US Congress Joint Economic Committee has launched an investigation into Starlink's alleged involvement in these centers.
The action by SpaceX comes as the global scam industry is growing at an unprecedented rate, according to the UN Office of Drugs and Crime. Criminal groups are using artificial intelligence and online cryptocurrency markets to move large sums of stolen money undetected. Southeast Asia has become a hotbed for these scams, with Myanmar emerging as an attractive destination for cybercrime networks due to corruption and military protection.