Myanmar's military-backed parliament, the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, passed the Anti-Online Scam Bill on July 28, 2026, introducing some of the world's toughest penalties for crimes linked to online scam operations. The legislation, built on a draft first proposed in May, retains its most severe provisions, including the death penalty for extreme cases involving violence, torture, or death during forced scam labour.
The 63-section law targets digital-currency fraud, online scam centres, forced labour, and the financial infrastructure used by fraud networks. Under the published draft, prison terms of 10 years to life apply to operating a scam centre or committing cryptocurrency-related fraud. For forced labour involving violence, unlawful detention, or cruel treatment, sentences can escalate to life imprisonment or capital punishment, with the death penalty mandatory when such conduct causes death. Lower house lawmaker Aye Chan confirmed the final bill kept the death-penalty provision, noting “not many significant changes” to the core sections.
Beyond penalties, the bill creates a central committee, regional bodies, and an Anti-Scam Centre. It authorises international coordination, bank and telecom data sharing, and freezing of suspicious accounts. Human Rights Myanmar has criticised the law as a “repressive security instrument,” warning its surveillance and blocking powers could be misused against journalists and political opponents.
The passage comes amid evidence that Myanmar’s scam centres remain active. Satellite analysis showed at least 25 sites built or expanded near Myawaddy in early 2026, while the UNODC reported fraud networks adapting to crackdowns by dispersing into smaller operations. The final amended text, presidential assent, and commencement date are still pending publication, but the bill signals a major policy shift in tackling the region’s multi-billion-dollar online scam industry.
