Recently, the U.S. Treasury Department released a shocking report revealing the enormous economic losses that telecom fraud has caused in the United States. Data shows that in 2024 alone, losses from telecom fraud in the U.S. have exceeded $10 billion, a rise of 66% from the previous year. Behind this staggering figure, the pensions of the elderly have become a primary target for fraudsters.

To respond to this severe situation, the U.S. government announced a series of sanctions on September 8, targeting companies and individuals in Southeast Asia suspected of involvement in fraudulent activities. However, despite these measures, the fraud industry in places like Myanmar and Cambodia seems to continue expanding, forming a complex and hard-to-eradicate industrial chain.

Faced with this thorny issue, experts point out that relying solely on unilateral sanctions is insufficient to fundamentally resolve the problem. To effectively curb transnational telecom fraud, the United States needs to enhance cooperation with other countries and establish a broader and deeper international cooperation mechanism. Only through the joint efforts of multiple countries to combat these cross-border crime networks can we truly curb the spread of telecom fraud and protect citizens' property security.

This event also highlights the importance of enhancing public education, especially to raise fraud awareness among the elderly population. At the same time, governments and financial institutions in various countries need to continuously update and improve anti-fraud measures to cope with increasingly complex fraud tactics.