SCAM compounds in Southeast Asia have expanded to include “AI models” who are real people hired to perform live video calls with targets, using deepfake software to match the imagined partner a victim expects. Recruitment ads describe roles handling around a hundred live video calls per day, promoting romance scams and crypto hustles across Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos, with many operators themselves victims of trafficking who work long shifts under threats of violence.
When a victim requests a video call, the scam bosses bring in a specialist AI model to charm the victim, while the AI’s appearance is adjusted to fit the person the victim is hoping to see. The piece notes that real-time face-swapping and deepfake tools are now good enough to support live video, enabling mass exploitation where dozens or hundreds of calls can be managed daily.
The article cites a pitch from a 24-year-old Uzbekistani caller identifying as Angel and claims this reflects broader trends described by WIRED and the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. According to WIRED and according to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.