Myanmar’s military-backed parliament has approved the Anti-Online Scam Bill targeting online fraud and scam centers. Speaker of the Union Parliament Aung Lin Dwe announced that the bill was passed on July 28 during a joint session of the lower and upper houses in Naypyidaw, according to AFP.
In a comment to the agency, MP Aye Chan confirmed that the approved version of the law retains the provision for the death penalty. According to the May draft, penalties ranging from 10 years in prison to life imprisonment were stipulated for violence, torture, illegal detention, or mistreatment aimed at forcing individuals into online fraud. If such actions resulted in the victim’s death, the document prescribed the highest penalty.
Separately, Decrypt noted that the May version specified a maximum penalty of life imprisonment for operators of scam centers and those committing cryptocurrency fraud.
Myanmar’s official resources reported in June that the lower house approved the bill following amendments by the upper house and the Bill Committee.
Context
In September 2025, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on nine entities in Myanmar and ten in Cambodia for their involvement in fraudulent schemes using cryptocurrencies.
One of the largest centers where internet scammers deceive people through fake investment and romance schemes is KK Park. In October, nearly 700 people escaped from it after a raid, crossing the Moei River into Thailand.
Such complexes are widespread along Myanmar’s border due to the country’s civil war. Previously, authorities attempted to combat them by cutting off border internet access. However, an AFP investigation revealed that the construction of centers continued, with widespread use of Starlink satellite internet for network access.
In May 2026, the FBI announced the seizure of over 127,000 BTC worth approximately $8 billion as part of an international operation against scam centers and related networks. Raids were conducted in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, resulting in nearly 300 arrests and the liberation of about 2,000 individuals.
ForkLog explored the structure of digital slavery in Myanmar, the entities behind the network of fraudulent factories, and the role cryptocurrencies play in such schemes in a separate article.
