Multidimensional Scam Risk Index

A decision-support tool that scores the structural conditions that let scam compounds, and the forced criminality inside them, take root across Southeast Asia.

In development · No location scores published yet

The problem

Scam compounds in Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and elsewhere hold people who were trafficked and forced to run online fraud. The UN human rights office estimated in 2023 that at least 120,000 people in Myanmar and 100,000 in Cambodia may be held in these operations. (OHCHR)

The organizations positioned to respond each see only part of the picture: NGOs see survivors, banks see money flows, and policy teams see governance. MSRI combines those views into one consistent, sourced assessment of where the enabling conditions are strongest.

How it works

Each location is scored from 0 to 100 on five dimensions, which combine into a weighted composite. Every score carries its sources, an as-of date, and an uncertainty band based on the confidence of the evidence behind it.

Governance & rule of law25%

Labor & migration25%

Financial flows20%

Digital platform15%

Protection capacity15%

Scores are diagnostic, not predictive. They describe the structural susceptibility of places. They never attribute anything to people or communities, and they don't predict specific incidents. Stronger survivor protection lowers a location's score.

Read the methodology

Who it's for

NGOs and survivor services

Where to pre-position referral contacts, and where enforcement is likely to criminalize victims.

Financial institutions and AML teams

Which geographies carry the laundering infrastructure behind scam proceeds.

Policy teams

Which governance and protection gaps sustain compounds, and where crackdowns displace them.

Status

MSRI started as a graduate capstone at George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs (2026). The prototype used illustrative data. It's now being rebuilt on real, cited sources, and location scores will be published only once they're backed by evidence.

Indicator framework: 5 dimensions, 14 indicators (done)
Scoring engine with uncertainty bands and low-confidence flags (done)
Source feasibility review for every indicator (done)
Source registry and license review (done)
Country baselines: governance, corruption, income, TIP tiers, FATF lists (done)
Evidence database with analyst review (planned)
Risk map, weighting explorer, and location briefings on sourced data (planned)
Tiered access for vetted partners (planned)

Country context Where the data will come from