SpaceX has disabled over 2500 Starlink devices in Myanmar that were utilized by fraudulent networks for cyberattacks and online scams, according to CNN.
The report indicates that the United States has expressed concerns for over a year regarding the use of Starlink by criminal enterprises in Myanmar for internet access and fraudulent activities. SpaceX confirmed that it monitors violations across all markets where Starlink operates.
"In rare instances where we detect violations, we take appropriate measures, including collaborating with law enforcement globally," stated Lauren Dreyer, Vice President of Business Operations for Starlink at SpaceX.
She mentioned that in Myanmar, SpaceX independently identified and "blocked over 2500 Starlink kits near suspected fraud centers".
Dreyer did not specify the date of the disconnection, but the announcement followed the Myanmar military junta's declaration that it had discovered 30 Starlink "receivers and accessories" during a raid on a fraud complex this week.
A recent report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute indicates that there are about 30 major fraud complexes along the border between Myanmar and Thailand, constructed specifically for scams totaling billions of dollars yearly, affecting even Americans.
Employees of these fraud centers are often lured with promises of well-paid jobs or become victims of human trafficking. They are frequently held against their will and coerced into participating in online fraud schemes within heavily guarded complexes, where beatings and torture are commonplace, CNN reports.