Elon Musk’s SpaceX disabled thousands of Starlink devices linked to cyber scam premises in Myanmar as global concern over “pig butchering” frauds grows.
SpaceX has disabled more than 2,500 of its Starlink satellite internet devices used by cyber scam syndicates in Myanmar, the company confirmed on Wednesday October 23, 2025, marking one of its largest enforcement actions against misuse of its technology.
The move follows mounting evidence that criminal networks in the war-torn nation have relied on Starlink to run sprawling online fraud operations, often involving human trafficking and forced labor. The scams, known locally as “pig butchering,” lure victims—many of them from across Asia and the United States—into fake investment or romance schemes that generate billions of dollars annually.
Lauren Dreyer, SpaceX’s vice president of business operations, said in a post on X that the company “proactively identified and disabled over 2,500 Starlink kits in the vicinity of suspected scam centers” along the Myanmar-Thailand border. She added that SpaceX “works with law enforcement agencies around the world” when violations occur.
The announcement came just days after Myanmar’s military authorities said they had seized dozens of Starlink receivers and accessories during a raid on a compound linked to cyberfraud networks. The junta has been under international pressure to curb the scam industry, which has flourished amid the chaos of Myanmar’s civil war since the 2021 coup.
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According to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, there are roughly 30 large compounds along the border dedicated to online fraud. Many workers there are migrants or trafficking victims, trapped and forced to operate scams under threat of violence.
Investigations carried out earlier this month found Starlink dishes mounted “at huge scale” across these facilities, raising alarm among US lawmakers. The US Congress Joint Economic Committee has since launched an inquiry into Starlink’s role in enabling the syndicates.
SpaceX’s decision underscores growing global concern over the explosion of transnational online scams. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime warns that the networks increasingly exploit artificial intelligence tools and cryptocurrency markets to move stolen funds across borders undetected.
Regional governments have begun responding with coordinated crackdowns. Earlier this year, Thailand cut electricity to several border towns hosting scam centers, leading to the rescue and repatriation of around 7,000 workers.
Despite these efforts, experts say the criminal infrastructure remains largely intact. “It’s business as usual for many of the scam compounds,” said Jason Tower, a senior fellow at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. “Disabling Starlink is a start—but far from an end.”
Africa Daily News, New York
