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Andre Malerba

Photographer

www.andremalerba.com

Cyber Trafficking: NZZ

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Clients: US Holocaust Memorial Museum, The New York Times, Bloomberg, Rest of World, The Washington Post

School: The International Center of Photography The University of Vermont

A dirt path leading to the rive... or food and sleep deprivation.

1 of 16 © 2024 Andre Malerba

A dirt path leading to the river on the Thai-Myanmar border with a view of KK Park, a notorious, Chinese-owned compound housing victims of trafficking outside of Mae Sot, Thailand, February 22, 2023. Trafficked people kept here might be required to engage in a variety of cyber scams in order to meet quotas set forth by their captors or face punishment such as beatings, electrocution, or food and sleep deprivation.

Nguyen Thi Thuy, a victim of tr...ore getting them to send money.

2 of 16 © 2024 Andre Malerba

Nguyen Thi Thuy, a victim of trafficking, forced to conduct financial scams from a compound in Myanmar, after escaping, stands for a portrait in Bangkok, Thailand, March 27, 2023. She responded to an ad for an IT job, had an online interview, was accepted, and flew to Bangkok where she handed over her passport to get a work visa. She then went from Bangkok to Mae Sot but her stay was short. One night she was dragged, drunk, into a car and taken across the border by boat. In the following days she was trained to psychologically manipulate people into “falling in love” with her online before getting them to send money.

Private “villas&r...onships with potential victims.

3 of 16 © 2024 Andre Malerba

Private “villas” just over the Thai-Myanmar border, allegedly holding young women used to con men via various online platforms to become involved in financial and labor scams near Mae Sot, Thailand, February 22, 2023. The woman are reportedly clothed, fed, and treated very well in order to maintain appearances while developing relationships with potential victims.

Construction and buildings in S... hotels, and human trafficking.

4 of 16 © 2024 Andre Malerba

Construction and buildings in Shwe Kokko, a Chinese City just inside Myanmar as seen from near Mae Sot, Thailand, February 22, 2023. Shwe Kokko is home to a host of Chinese owned businesses including casinos, hotels, and human trafficking.

A man holds a fishing net with ...ase both legally and illegally.

5 of 16 © 2024 Andre Malerba

A man holds a fishing net with his sons on the banks of the river marking the Thai-Myanmar border near Mae Sot, Thailand, February 21, 2023. The river is extremely narrow in many places, making it very easy for people to come and go as they please both legally and illegally.

Dusk settles over a Burmese wet...t, Thailand, February 22, 2023.

6 of 16 © 2024 Andre Malerba

Dusk settles over a Burmese wet market in Mae Sot, Thailand, February 22, 2023.

Casinos and hotels in the Chine...gambling and human trafficking.

7 of 16 © 2024 Andre Malerba

Casinos and hotels in the Chinese owned city of Shwe Kokko are illuminated by massive arrays of LED lights and screens, just over the Thai-Myanmar border, as seen from near Mae Sot, Thailand, February 22, 2023. Shwe Kokko is notorious for its gambling and human trafficking.

Brian Bruce, who lost $189,000 ...s to put an end to these scams.

8 of 16 © 2024 Andre Malerba

Brian Bruce, who lost $189,000 as a victim of a crypto based financial scam of Chinese origin, stands for a portrait at a hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, April 6, 2023. Bruce is now committed to fighting cybercrime, helping a number of organizations to put an end to these scams.

Workers unload supplies to be t...t, Thailand, February 23, 2023.

9 of 16 © 2024 Andre Malerba

Workers unload supplies to be taken across the river from Thailand into Myanmar in Mae Sot, Thailand, February 23, 2023.

A guard from the Royal Thai Arm...nd is a Chinese owned compound.

10 of 16 © 2024 Andre Malerba

A guard from the Royal Thai Armed Forces uses a cell phone while standing guard along the river marking the Thai-Myanmar border near Mae Sot, Thailand, February 21, 2023. The building in the background is a Chinese owned compound.

Clothes can be seen on a railin...remaining hours in a given day.

11 of 16 © 2024 Andre Malerba

Clothes can be seen on a railing in front of "dorms" in KK Park, a notorious, Chinese-owned compound housing victims of trafficking outside of Mae Sot, Thailand, February 22, 2023. When trafficking victims are not engaging in cyber scams, they are allegedly required to be locked in their rooms for the majority of the remaining hours in a given day.

A guard from the Royal Thai Arm...t, Thailand, February 21, 2023.

12 of 16 © 2024 Andre Malerba

A guard from the Royal Thai Armed Forces checks packages being brought over from Myanmar (seen in the background) along the river marking the Thai-Myanmar border near Mae Sot, Thailand, February 21, 2023.

A man guides his cow out of the...ase both legally and illegally.

13 of 16 © 2024 Andre Malerba

A man guides his cow out of the river marking the Thai-Myanmar border near Mae Sot, Thailand, February 21, 2023. The river is extremely narrow in many places, making it very easy for people to come and go as they please both legally and illegally.

Boats lay on the banks of the r... gambling and other activities.

14 of 16 © 2024 Andre Malerba

Boats lay on the banks of the river marking the Thai-Myanmar border, on the opposite side a Chinese-owned Casino can be seen near Mae Sot, Thailand, February 21, 2023. Boats of mostly Chinese tourists are regularly ferried across to engage in gambling and other activities.

People walk over the bridge con...acquired the correct documents.

15 of 16 © 2024 Andre Malerba

People walk over the bridge connecting Mae Sot, Thailand, to Myawaddy, Myanmar, as see from the Thailand side, February 21, 2023. Anyone can freely come and go across this official checkpoint and truckloads of trafficking victims are often taken across here simply because the traffickers have acquired the correct documents.

The sun sets over the checkpoin...t, Thailand, February 21, 2023.

16 of 16 © 2024 Andre Malerba

The sun sets over the checkpoint leading into Myanmar in Mae Sot, Thailand, February 21, 2023.

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Thumbnail of A dirt path leading to the river_, or food and sleep deprivation.

Thumbnail of Nguyen Thi Thuy, a victim of tra_fore getting them to send money.

Thumbnail of Private “villas&rd_ionships with potential victims.

Thumbnail of Construction and buildings in Sh_, hotels, and human trafficking.

Thumbnail of A man holds a fishing net with h_ease both legally and illegally.

Thumbnail of Dusk settles over a Burmese wet _ot, Thailand, February 22, 2023.

Thumbnail of Casinos and hotels in the Chines_ gambling and human trafficking.

Thumbnail of Brian Bruce, who lost $189,000 a_ns to put an end to these scams.

Thumbnail of Workers unload supplies to be ta_ot, Thailand, February 23, 2023.

Thumbnail of A guard from the Royal Thai Arme_und is a Chinese owned compound.

Thumbnail of Clothes can be seen on a railing_ remaining hours in a given day.

Thumbnail of A guard from the Royal Thai Arme_ot, Thailand, February 21, 2023.

Thumbnail of A man guides his cow out of the _ease both legally and illegally.

Thumbnail of Boats lay on the banks of the ri_n gambling and other activities.

Thumbnail of People walk over the bridge conn_ acquired the correct documents.

Thumbnail of The sun sets over the checkpoint_ot, Thailand, February 21, 2023.

Public Project

Cyber Trafficking: NZZ

Copyright Andre Malerba 2024

Updated Nov 2024

Topics Media

Victims from all over the world are trafficked across the Thai-Myanmar border and kept in one of several Chinese-owned compounds, forced to engage in cybercrime by their captors. They are typically lured by the promise of well paid work, or by the false promise of love and relationships by current victims who are forced to do so. Once there they become part of the system, luring more people or convincing them to send money or crypto. Punishments can be very severe for those who fail to meet their quotas including: lack of food and water, forced exercise, electrocution, beating or being tied to chair for long periods of time. Their captors are often victims themselves for a variety of reasons. However, there are those that allgedly want to be there as they get food, pay and a room to sleep in and not all compounds have such harsh punishments. Many simply induce financial penalties for anything from falling asleep in the job to using the bathroom. This industry is massive, and is thought to produce billions of dollars each year, though the exact figure is nearly impossible to come by.

Published Work

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