The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on international criminal networks accused of trafficking Kenyans and other foreign nationals into forced labour at online scam centres in Southeast Asia, following the rescue of hundreds of Kenyans from the operations this year.
The US Embassy in Nairobi confirmed that hundreds of Kenyan nationals had been rescued from scam compounds, where trafficked workers are allegedly forced to participate in cybercrime activities targeting victims across the world.
The latest crackdown by Washington targets individuals and companies accused of supporting the Cambodia-based Prince Group Transnational Criminal Organisation (TCO), a network linked by US authorities to online fraud, money laundering and human trafficking.
The US Department of the Treasury, through its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), announced sanctions against four individuals and 41 entities connected to the organisation. The measures are intended to disrupt the financial and corporate structures that allegedly enable the network to operate internationally.
In a statement, the US Embassy in Nairobi said the sanctions were directed at criminal organisations responsible for recruiting Kenyans and other foreign nationals and forcing them to work in online scam centres.
“Hundreds of Kenyans were rescued from scam centres in Southeast Asia in 2026. These sanctions target the criminal organisations trafficking Kenyans and others abroad into forced labour in online scam centres,” the embassy stated.
The development has renewed attention on the risks facing Kenyans seeking employment abroad, particularly those recruited through suspicious online advertisements and seemingly attractive overseas job offers.
US Targets Prince Group Network Over Online Fraud and Human Trafficking
The latest sanctions focus on four individuals and 41 entities accused of providing material support to the Prince Group Transnational Criminal Organisation.
According to the US Treasury, the targeted individuals and companies allegedly helped maintain the organisation’s international operations through offshore corporate structures, financial services, commercial activities and arrangements designed to conceal beneficial ownership.
The US government says Prince Group-linked operations have generated billions of dollars through cyber-enabled fraud schemes targeting victims in the United States and other countries.
These schemes include fraudulent digital asset investment opportunities, romance scams and other online financial crimes designed to persuade victims to transfer money or cryptocurrency to criminally controlled accounts.
Many of the operations are reportedly conducted from large compounds in Southeast Asia, where trafficked and coerced workers are forced to carry out online fraud.
The latest action builds on previous sanctions imposed against Prince Group leadership, affiliated companies and financial facilitators in October 2025 and June 2026.
US officials say the continued designations are intended to make it harder for the network to move money, conceal assets and maintain access to the international financial system.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the administration would continue targeting criminal organisations involved in cybercrime, fraud and extortion.
“No criminal network is beyond reach. The Trump Administration will continue to expose, sanction, and dismantle the criminal networks that prey on Americans through cybercrime, fraud, and extortion,” Pigott stated.
How Kenyans Are Recruited into Overseas Scam Centres
The US Embassy’s announcement has highlighted the growing danger of fraudulent overseas employment opportunities targeting Kenyans.
Criminal networks often use online recruitment advertisements, social media platforms and informal employment agents to attract people seeking jobs outside the country.
Some advertisements promise well-paying positions in customer service, digital marketing, information technology, online sales and other seemingly legitimate occupations.
However, some recruits reportedly discover that the advertised employment does not exist in the form promised once they arrive in the destination country.
Instead, victims may be taken to guarded compounds and pressured to participate in online fraud operations.
The exploitation can involve restrictions on movement, intimidation, threats and forced participation in schemes targeting unsuspecting internet users.
Workers may be instructed to create fake online identities, establish relationships with potential victims, promote fraudulent investment opportunities or persuade people to transfer money and digital assets.
Those who refuse to participate can face threats, physical abuse or demands for money in exchange for their release, according to documented patterns of exploitation associated with scam compounds in Southeast Asia.
For Kenyan families, the consequences can be devastating, particularly when relatives travel abroad believing they have secured legitimate employment but later become unreachable.
The rescue of hundreds of Kenyans demonstrates the scale of the challenge facing authorities responsible for protecting migrant workers from trafficking and forced labour.
US Treasury Also Sanctions Malaysian National Over Madagascar Scam Network
Separately, Washington has sanctioned Malaysian national Chui Kok Wa over allegations that he managed a network of scammers operating in Madagascar and targeting American victims.
According to the US Treasury, Chui’s network used cyber-enabled schemes, including cryptocurrency-related fraud, to steal money and digital assets from individuals in the United States.
The department said the operation defrauded American victims of more than US$400,000 equivalent through fraudulent activities involving digital assets and other online schemes.
Criminal charges against Chui were unsealed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia after prosecutors accused him of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The allegations relate to an alleged scheme involving the misappropriation of digital assets belonging to victims.
The sanctions against Chui form part of the wider US effort to disrupt international cybercrime networks. However, his alleged Madagascar operation is a separate matter from the Prince Group designations and should not be confused with the sanctions targeting the Cambodia-based organisation.
The Treasury’s action demonstrates Washington’s intention to target scam operations beyond Southeast Asia, including networks operating from African countries.
How US Sanctions Affect the Targeted Organisations
The latest measures are being implemented by the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which administers economic and trade sanctions against individuals, companies and organisations identified under relevant US laws and executive orders.
The sanctions are designed to restrict the ability of designated individuals and entities to access property and financial services within US jurisdiction.
Their assets subject to US jurisdiction are generally blocked, while US persons are prohibited from engaging in transactions involving designated targets unless an applicable authorisation or exemption exists.
The measures also create compliance risks for financial institutions and businesses dealing with sanctioned individuals and companies.
By targeting corporate structures, financial facilitators and affiliated businesses, Washington hopes to disrupt the systems that allow criminal networks to move illicit proceeds and continue operating under the appearance of legitimate commercial activity.
The latest action builds on earlier US sanctions against Prince Group and its associates, reflecting a strategy that targets not only alleged criminal leadership but also the businesses and financial structures that support the network.
Kenya’s Human Trafficking Record Under US Scrutiny
The latest development comes amid continued international concern about human trafficking and the protection of Kenyan nationals recruited for overseas employment.
The 2025 US Trafficking in Persons Report placed Kenya in Tier 2, meaning the government does not fully meet the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking but is making significant efforts to comply.
The report acknowledged measures taken by Kenya to investigate and prosecute traffickers, identify potential victims and work with non-governmental organisations providing assistance.
However, it also identified gaps in victim protection, including limited support services for adults who have experienced trafficking.
The report further raised concerns about alleged official complicity in trafficking offences and the absence of reported law enforcement action against officials accused of involvement.
Tier 2 status does not mean that Kenya has been identified as directly responsible for the international scam networks. Rather, it reflects the US government’s assessment of the country’s overall efforts to prevent trafficking, prosecute offenders and protect victims.
The latest rescues underline the importance of stronger cooperation between Kenyan authorities, foreign governments, recruitment agencies and organisations supporting migrant workers.
Warning to Kenyans Seeking Jobs Abroad
The developments serve as a warning to Kenyans considering overseas employment, particularly opportunities advertised through social media, messaging applications and unverified recruitment agents.
Jobseekers should confirm that recruitment agencies are properly registered and that overseas employment offers can be independently verified before paying fees or travelling.
Applicants should also establish the identity of the employer, the actual workplace, the nature of the job and the terms of the employment contract.
Promises of unusually high salaries for basic online work, vague job descriptions, pressure to travel quickly and requests for unexplained payments should be treated as potential warning signs.
Kenyans who experience problems while abroad should seek assistance from the nearest Kenyan diplomatic mission and relevant local authorities.
Families should also maintain copies of travel documents, employment contracts, employer details and other essential information before relatives leave the country.
The US sanctions represent another international effort to weaken criminal networks that allegedly profit from cybercrime and human trafficking.
However, the rescue of victims is only one part of the challenge. Preventing further recruitment, prosecuting those responsible, supporting survivors and strengthening protections for Kenyan migrant workers will remain essential in tackling the growing threat.
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