Modern Slavery and the Rise of Scam Compounds
Trigger warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence. Listener discretion is advised.
The hidden crisis of human trafficking and forced criminality inside scam compounds.
Episode 28: Matt Friedman pulls back the curtain on the brutal realities of human trafficking, forced criminality inside scam compounds, and why the world is still failing the millions of people trapped in these systems.
In this powerful episode of Stolen, Erin West sits down with global anti-trafficking expert Matt Friedman, one of the most experienced voices in the fight against modern slavery. CEO of the Mekong Club, Matt pulls back the curtain on the brutal realities of human trafficking, forced criminality inside scam compounds, and why the world is still failing the millions of people trapped in these systems.
We have 50 million people in modern slavery… Last year, the world helped about 110,000, which is 0.2%. — Matt Friedman, Mekong Club
If you’ve ever wondered how scams, trafficking, and global criminal networks intersect — or what you personally can do to help — this conversation is raw, urgent, and impossible to ignore. And here’s an interesting thing. Matt Friedman is optimistic that we can solve these problems. Erin and Matt discuss:
How trafficking has evolved into forced criminality in Southeast Asian scam compounds
The staggering scale of modern slavery — and why we’re rescuing only 0.2% of victims
The violence, torture, and psychological devastation inside scam centers
Why banks, businesses, and everyday people have a bigger role to play than they realize
What it will actually take to make people aware of this crisis
The hope, the frustration, and the path forward
I am so optimistic because I know that somewhere out there is the key. Somehow we’re going to get to that critical point, and somehow that’s going to make a difference. — Matt Friedman
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Who Is Matt Friedman?
Matt Friedman is an international human trafficking expert with more than 29 years’ experience as a manager, program designer, evaluator, and frontline responder. He is CEO of The Mekong Club, an organization of Hong Kong-based private-sector business leaders who have joined forces to help fight human trafficking in Asia. Mr. Friedman was previously Regional Project Manager at the United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking (UNIAP) in Thailand. UNIAP is an inter-agency coordinating body that linked the UN system with governments and civil society groups in China, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Prior to this, he worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Thailand, Bangladesh, and Nepal, where he designed and managed country and regional human trafficking programs. Mr. Friedman also offers regular technical advice to numerous governments and corporations working to stop slavery, and is the author of 11 books.
[These are] the worst possible crimes you can imagine, stealing a person’s life and health and freedom and opportunity. Why isn’t the world jumping up and down and saying something needs to be done? — Matt Friedman
Episode Chapters
00:00 — Introduction to Human Trafficking and the Mekong Club
11:09 — Matt Friedman's Journey into Activism
13:51 — The Reality of Human Trafficking
16:13 — The Scale of Modern Slavery
19:04 — The Shift from NGO to Private Sector
22:10 — Building Relationships with the Private Sector
24:56 — The Role of Individuals in Combatting Trafficking
27:41 — The Importance of Awareness and Education
30:38 — Innovative Approaches to Prevention
33:23 — The Impact of Scams and Trafficking
36:11 — Future Directions and Hope for Change
Useful Links
United Nations Resources on Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling
Amnesty International Report: “Slavery, Human Trafficking, and Torture in Cambodia’s Scamming Compounds”
Sponsors of Stolen
BioCatch prevents financial crime by recognizing patterns in human behavior, continuously collecting 3,000 anonymized data points – keystroke and mouse activity, touch screen behavior, physical device attributes, and more – as people interact with their digital banking platforms. With these inputs, BioCatch's models reveal patterns that distinguish the criminal from the legitimate.
Scamnetic is a leader in AI-powered scam detection and prevention, protecting individuals, businesses, and financial institutions from digital scams. With solutions like KnowScam and IDeveryone, Scamnetic delivers real-time scam insights, identity verification, and intervention. Restoring trust, reducing losses, and empowering organizations to safeguard customers in an increasingly complex digital world.
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