In June 2025, INTERPOL raised the alarm about the global rise of online scam centres. Initially concentrated in Southeast Asia, where 74% of victims are still found, these criminal hubs have now expanded to West Africa, the Middle East, and Central America. Victims from 66 countries are trafficked through fake job offers, then forced into exploitative labour under abusive conditions. These scam centres target global victims, causing severe financial and emotional harm. The trafficked individuals are used to operate fraudulent schemes under coercion. INTERPOL warns that this is no longer a regional issue, but a rapidly growing transnational crime phenomenon.
What is human trafficking?
According to the Directive 2011/36/EU of April 5TH 2011-Recital 1, “Trafficking in human beings is a serious crime, often committed within the framework of organised crime”.
Thus, human trafficking appears to violate the third article of the European Convention which protects human dignity as an absolute right which cannot suffer from any exception, and the first article of the Charter of Fundamental Rights which portrays human dignity as a very foundation of all fundamental rights.
- Target victims of trafficking
Human trafficking disproportionately targets society’s most vulnerable populations, such as children, women, and individuals experiencing economic difficulties who are hoping for a better life abroad. So, according to the Recital 4 of the Directive EU 2024/1712 of June 13th2024, human trafficking intensifies existing gender discrimination as well as racial and ethnic vulnerabilities. Thus, recital 22 recognizes that stateless persons are at greater risk of becoming trafficking. Recital 23 emphasizes that children are the most vulnerable group targeted by human traffickers.
- Methods used by the exploiter
According to the third article of the Palermo Protocol from November 15th 2000, human trafficking means “recruiting, transporting, or harboring people through force, coercion, fraud, or abuse of power or vulnerability, including bribery to gain control, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation includes sexual exploitation, forced labor, slavery, servitude, or organ removal”.
- Consent compromised by vulnerability :
According to article 3b) from the same Protocol, exploiters rely on fragile, easily manipulated victims whose vulnerability leads to a coerced consent. Such victims endure abuses so degrading that psychologically resilient individuals would never agree to them.
- Purpose of trafficking : the exploiter’s enrichment coming from diverse types of exploitation.
According to Article 3a), exploitation shall at least encompass the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor of services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude, and removal of organs.
Moreover, it’s fair to note that the 2024 Directive amends the 2011 one, by expanding its scope to include new forms of exploitation such as forced marriages, illegal adoption and exploitation of surrogacy as explicated in the new article 2§3.
The role of cryptocurrencies in facilitating human trafficking on the Dark Web:
- What is a cryptocurrency?
Cryptocurrency is a digital, decentralized form of money secured by cryptographic techniques, operating on peer-to-peer networks without relying on banks. Transactions are recorded in public ledgers called blockchains, and funds are stored in digital wallets, ensuring secure and transparent transfers.
- How to access to the Dark Web?
The Dark Web is a hidden part of the internet not indexed by search engines and accessible only through special software like Tor. Tor is essential because it anonymizes users’ identities and locations by routing their internet traffic through multiple servers. This high level of privacy makes the Dark Web a space used for legitimate privacy needs but also exploited for illegal activities, including human trafficking. Thus, VPNs are crucial for anonymity in human trafficking. They encrypt internet traffic and mask IP addresses, allowing traffickers to hide their location, avoid surveillance and access illegal platforms securely.
While various cryptocurrencies are used on the Dark Web, this analysis focuses on Bitcoin and stablecoins, which remain the most commonly used. These transactions are pseudonymous, meaning they are not directly tied to users’ real identities but instead linked to encrypted wallet addresses. This obscurity complicates the tracking of fund origins or destinations, allowing traffickers to move money across borders with a reduced risk of detection. According to FinCEN, financial institutions reported 2,311 cases of illicit cryptocurrency use between 2020 and 2021, involving over 412 million dollars. A significant portion of these funds was used to purchase child sexual abuse material, including pedopornographic content.
The growing use of AI facilitating the recruitment phase:
INTERPOL reports that AI is increasingly used to create fake job ads and deepfake profiles for scam and fraud. Scam centres, especially in Southeast Asia, are evolving into complex multi-crime hubs. Although not primarily based in Europe, the digital nature of these crimes erases borders, making human trafficking a global threat that exploits victims worldwide.
BENYAHIA Nadia
Master 2 Droit, parcours Cyberjustice – Promotion 2024/2025.
Sources :
https://www.kaspersky.fr/resource-center/definitions/what-is-cryptocurrency
Stablecoins most-preferred crypto for illicit transactions in 2023: Report
Le bitcoin serait très utilisé dans le trafic d’êtres humains et l’exploitation sexuelle des enfants
What is the Dark Web and How to Access it Safely: A Guide
