Abstract: Northern Myanmar has become a breeding ground for organized cross-border telecom and online fraud, a result of the
combined effects of the internal survival and development needs of ethnic armed groups in the region, the external demand for low
criminal costs among cross-border telecom and online fraud syndicates, and the unique geographical, political, historical, and cultural
conditions of Northern Myanmar. As a system consisting of upstream, midstream, and downstream segments of the black industry chain, the organized cross-border telecom and online fraud operations in Northern Myanmar operate in an orderly manner with protection from local armed forces. They are characterized by strong organizational centralization, systematization, high professionalism and concealment of crimes, as well as prominent regional features. Addressing such fraud presents governance challenges, including difficulties in joint law enforcement, evidence collection, asset recovery, arrests, and extraditions. Currently, as these organized crossborder telecom and online fraud activities shift to the Thailand-Myanmar border, collaborative governance, technological enhancement, and proactive counter-fraud measures remain essential for effective management.

Key words:  cross-border crimes, telecom fraud, border security