US senator urges SpaceX CEO to block Starlink access for Southeast Asian fraud rings

US Senator Maggie Hassan has called on SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to take immediate action to prevent transnational criminal groups in Southeast Asia from using the company’s Starlink satellite internet service to conduct large-scale fraud operations targeting Americans.

In a letter to Musk seen by Reuters, the Democratic senator cited mounting evidence that Starlink is being used by criminal syndicates running so-called “scam compounds” in countries such as Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. These illicit networks, according to Hassan, are defrauding US citizens out of billions of dollars.

“Scam networks in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, however, have apparently continued to use Starlink despite service rules permitting SpaceX to terminate access for fraudulent activity,” Hassan wrote. “SpaceX has a responsibility to block criminals from using the service to target Americans.”

SpaceX has not yet issued a public response to the request.

The US Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network recently underscored the scale of the threat, noting that transnational cyberfraud operations have become increasingly sophisticated and exploit digital infrastructure, including satellite internet, to evade enforcement.

“While most people have probably noticed the increasing number of scam texts, calls, and emails they’re receiving, they may not know that transnational criminals halfway across the world may be perpetrating these scams by using Starlink internet access,” Hassan added.

According to the United Nations, hundreds of thousands of individuals have been trafficked into forced labor at scam centers throughout Southeast Asia, particularly along the Thai-Myanmar border. Efforts to curb these operations have intensified. Since February, Thai authorities have cut electricity, internet, and fuel supplies to five key border areas, including Myawaddy, in an effort to disrupt the criminal networks.

The issue has also drawn widespread international attention following the high-profile abduction of Chinese actor Wang Xing earlier this year. Xing was kidnapped shortly after arriving in Thailand and was later rescued by Thai police in Myanmar.

The United States Institute of Peace has identified criminal groups with roots in China as key operators behind several major scam compounds in the region. With these networks increasingly leveraging Starlink to bypass local infrastructure limitations, Senator Hassan’s letter underscores growing pressure on private tech firms to safeguard their platforms from criminal misuse.

By Vafa Guliyeva