Musk pressured to cut off Starlink internet for scammers

A U.S. senator wants answers and fast. Senator Maggie Hassan (D‑N.H.) has formally asked Elon Musk to explain how SpaceX plans to stop criminals from using Starlink satellite internet to run elaborate global scams.

In a detailed letter dated July 28, Hassan demanded clarity on what measures SpaceX is taking to monitor, limit, or shut down access in regions tied to rampant digital fraud, including Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos.

The deadline she’s set? August 18.

But this isn’t just about money lost to phishing texts or fake investment sites. What’s unfolding is much darker. Satellite technology, meant to bring the world closer, is now allegedly being used to power human trafficking compounds, force thousands into digital servitude, and fuel criminal operations that have already cost Americans billions.

It raises difficult, urgent questions about who controls access to the internet in lawless zones and what tech giants owe the public when their tools are misused.

Is SpaceX doing enough? Could this be stopped? And what happens if it isn’t?

Keep reading to learn how a tool built to connect the disconnected is now caught in the middle of a global fraud crisis, and why the choices made now could shape how we think about responsibility in the age of satellite internet.

Criminal scam centers are relying on Starlink, and governments can’t shut it down

You’ve probably noticed an increasing number of scam texts, calls, and emails, but you may not know that criminals may be using Starlink to perpetrate these scams. @SpaceX has a responsibility to block these criminals from using Starlink to target Americans. pic.twitter.com/hSJ9645LSZ

— Sen. Maggie Hassan (@SenatorHassan) July 28, 2025

A Wired investigation published in February found that at least eight scam compounds in Myanmar were actively using Starlink. Data from mobile devices revealed over 40,000 Starlink connections within those compounds over a three-month span, pointing to sustained and organized usage.

And these aren’t small-time operations. Scam compounds across Southeast Asia are believed to generate tens of billions of dollars globally each year, with billions in losses reported in the U.S. alone, making them a serious international criminal and economic threat.

In response, Thailand has attempted to disrupt these operations by cutting off electricity and internet services in border regions like Myawaddy, a known hub for scam compounds.

But Starlink, with its portable, high-speed satellite dishes and independence from national telecom infrastructure, has given criminal groups a way to stay connected and continue operating even when traditional access points are shut down.

According to a July 28, 2025, letter from Senator Maggie Hassan to Elon Musk, Thai authorities seized more than 130 Starlink devices from scam compounds across the country, highlighting the widespread illegal adoption of the service and the challenges in shutting it down.

Why are these compounds more than just fraud hubs?

These compounds are built on abuse. According to UN human rights experts, in a May 21, 2025, statement, officials warned of widespread trafficking and forced labor in scam compounds across Southeast Asia, highlighting that hundreds of thousands of people are coerced into online scams under brutal conditions, including torture, confinement, and sexual violence.

Inside these compounds, trafficked workers are trained to target victims around the world, especially in the U.S., through fake online relationships, crypto investment platforms, and phishing schemes. Some scams, like the infamous “pig butchering” model, rely on weeks or months of emotional manipulation before draining victims’ savings.

But these aren’t just economic crimes. The psychological toll is severe. Victims often report feelings of shame, trauma, and isolation, and in some tragic cases, the scams have even driven people to suicide.

Take a moment to watch the short video for a quick overview of the issue and what’s at stake. Then come back here to explore the full story and understand why this matters more than it might seem.

@wired

The use of Starlink comes as officials have recently attempted to crack down on scam compounds, freeing thousands. However, support services for trafficking victims have faced USAID funding cuts from Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Musk’s ownership of the satellite network while serving as a federal employee has also fallen under increasing scrutiny, with reports suggesting Starlink connections could be turned off in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the US Federal Aviation Administration is reportedly expanding its use of Starklink devices. 📷: Maxar / Getty / Google

♬ original sound – WIRED.COM

Hassan says SpaceX has tools to stop this, so why hasn’t it?

SpaceX can technically geofence Starlink, which means it can block service in specific locations.

This was reaffirmed in a 2025 report by Reuters, which cited the UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s latest findings that criminal syndicates are increasingly leveraging digital infrastructure, including satellite internet, to run large-scale scam operations across Southeast Asia.

Hassan’s letter pointed out that while SpaceX has stated it investigates and deactivates devices “in various contexts,” there’s been no public acknowledgement that it’s done so in Southeast Asia.

She asked Musk directly:

• When did SpaceX first become aware that scammers in Southeast Asia were actively using Starlink to run online fraud schemes?

• Has it deactivated or restricted any devices used in scam compounds?

• How much revenue did SpaceX earn from Starlink devices later linked to fraud?

• Has it worked with any international agencies or U.S. authorities on this?

So far, SpaceX has declined to comment.

Starlink’s utility for scammers and for activists

Scammers use Starlink for the same reasons journalists, aid workers, and civil society groups do: it’s reliable in remote or restricted areas.

Opposition groups in Myanmar are increasingly turning to foreign satellite internet services like Starlink to bypass military-imposed blackouts and surveillance.

A 2025 guest column in The Irrawaddy noted that resistance-controlled areas across the country now use Starlink in at least 60 locations, highlighting how satellite connectivity has become a vital tool for staying online under the junta’s strict censorship regime.

Human rights advocates worry that broad bans on Starlink could cut off access to life-saving information for vulnerable users.

This is what makes Hassan’s letter so important. It doesn’t call for a total shutdown. Instead, it pushes for targeted accountability. Her goal, stop the criminal use of Starlink without silencing the very groups who rely on it to survive under authoritarian rule.

Fraud isn’t just growing, it’s getting smarter

The rise of scam compounds is coinciding with another troubling trend: online fraud is becoming far more sophisticated and harder to detect.

Scammers have started using generative AI tools, like voice cloning, deepfake videos, and fake social profiles, to execute fraud on a much larger scale. A 2025 report by Forbes, citing new FBI data, reveals a significant rise in crypto-related scams, showing just how quickly these tactics are evolving and spreading.

Combined with Starlink’s portability and independence from national infrastructure, these tools allow fraud rings to operate deep in jungles, mountains, or border zones, without fear of being easily traced or shut down.

That’s why the ability to geofence, monitor, and deactivate suspicious Starlink activity isn’t just a technical question anymore; it’s becoming a pressing issue of global economic security and public trust in satellite internet.

Can SpaceX lead responsibly, or will it wait too long?

What happens next will shape the future of how private tech firms manage international abuse of their platforms.

Hassan’s letter asks Musk to clarify SpaceX’s policies by August 18. Her investigation is part of a broader Senate effort to hold tech firms accountable for facilitating international crime, even unintentionally.

Here’s what’s clear so far:

• Starlink is a critical tool for both good and bad actors.

• Scam networks are exploiting satellite internet to avoid crackdowns.

• Victims on both sides are suffering.

• SpaceX has tools to help, but hasn’t publicly shared what it’s doing.

If SpaceX delivers a transparent, enforceable plan for combating misuse while preserving access for civil society, it could set a powerful precedent.

If not? Congress, regulators, and international watchdogs may step in.

Will Musk act or risk letting Starlink become a tool for global exploitation?

This isn’t just about Elon Musk. It’s about whether technology companies can control how their tools are used across borders, in spaces without rules.

Starlink was built to break through digital inequality. But if left unchecked, it could also become a digital shield for crime syndicates who now make billions, preying on trust and infrastructure gaps.

• Scam networks are using Starlink to run fraud operations in Southeast Asia.

• Senator Hassan wants answers from Elon Musk on how SpaceX is responding.

• SpaceX can block access, but hasn’t confirmed action in these regions.

• The outcome could shape how satellite tech is managed and misused.

Now the world is watching to see whether Musk will enforce ethical boundaries or let Starlink continue to beam internet into scam factories and trafficking zones.

What comes next isn’t just about enforcement. It’s about trust.

And the clock is ticking.

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  Made with AI assistance and human editing.