Key Points
- A U.S. senator is urging Elon Musk to cut off Starlink access for criminal groups in Southeast Asia.
- The groups are reportedly using Starlink internet to run “scam compounds” that defraud Americans.
- These criminal networks have trafficked hundreds of thousands of people and forced them to work in online scams.
- Senator Maggie Hassan says SpaceX has a responsibility to stop its service from being used for these crimes.
A U.S. senator is calling on SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to block criminal organizations in Southeast Asia from using Starlink’s satellite internet to scam Americans out of billions of dollars.
In a letter to Musk, Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan cited recent reports that Starlink is being used to facilitate fraud by criminal groups operating “scam compounds” in countries like Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. These groups have trafficked hundreds of thousands of people and forced them to work in illegal online schemes, according to the United Nations.
Hassan’s letter points out that while SpaceX’s own rules allow it to terminate service for fraudulent activity, these criminal networks have continued to use Starlink. “SpaceX has a responsibility to block criminals from using the service to target Americans,” she wrote.
The senator highlighted that while many Americans have noticed an increase in scam texts, calls, and emails, they probably don’t realize that the criminals behind them might be using Starlink internet from halfway across the world.
The “scam compounds” have become a major regional security concern. Thailand has even cut off electricity and internet to some border areas to disrupt them. The issue gained international attention earlier this year when a Chinese actor was kidnapped and later rescued from one of these compounds in Myanmar.
