SpaceX Shuts Down Fraudulent Starlink Devices in Myanmar
SpaceX has disconnected over 2500 Starlink devices in Myanmar that were employed by fraudulent networks for cyberattacks and online scams. This was reported by CNN.
The US has been expressing concerns for over a year regarding the use of Starlink by criminal networks in Myanmar for internet access and fraudulent activities. SpaceX stated that it monitors violations across all markets where Starlink operates.
“In rare cases where we identify violations, we take appropriate measures, including collaboration with law enforcement agencies globally,” said Lauren Dreyer, SpaceX's VP of Starlink business operations.
She added that in Myanmar, SpaceX independently identified and “blocked over 2500 Starlink kits near suspected fraud centers.”
Dreyer did not specify the date of the disconnections, but the announcement came after Myanmar's military junta reported that during a raid on one of the fraud complexes, they discovered 30 sets of “Starlink receivers and accessories.”
According to a recent report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, there are around 30 large complexes along the Myanmar-Thailand border specifically built for fraud, generating billions of dollars annually, with American citizens also falling victim.
Workers at these fraud centers are often lured by the promise of well-paying jobs or become victims of human trafficking. They are regularly held against their will and forced to engage in online fraud schemes in heavily guarded complexes, where beatings and torture are common, CNN reports.
