Unmasking the True Cost of Online Scams: A Timely Webinar to Mark World Day Against Trafficking in Persons

Webinar - Unmasking the True Cost of Online Scams 30 July 2025.pdf

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Human trafficking is one of the most profitable forms of organised crime, but it is people who pay the price. To mark the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on 30 July 2025, the NSW Anti-slavery Commissioner, Dr James Cockayne, will host a critical webinar titled “Unmasking the True Cost of Online Scams”. This important event will shed light on a growing and often-overlooked dimension of online scams: their link to human trafficking.

A New Face on the Panel

We are pleased Mechelle B.J. Moore, CEO of Global Alms Incorporated, is a newly confirmed panellist. She joins a distinguished group of speakers from across sectors, including lived experience, civil society, and government; united in their mission to expose the hidden human toll of digital fraud.

Mechelle B. J. Moore, CEO of Global Alms Inc

More Than Just a Scam

Online scams are typically viewed through a financial lens, as crimes of deception and theft. However, beneath the surface, many of these operations are driven by exploitative networks that coerce or traffic individuals to work in so-called "scam factories". These exploitative hubs are particularly prevalent in parts of Southeast Asia, and they represent one of the darkest intersections of technology, criminal enterprise, and human rights abuse.

This timely discussion will explore:

• The operational mechanics behind scam centres and how they function;

• The vulnerable populations most at risk of being trafficked into these operations;

• The regional and global impact of these crimes; and

• Most importantly, what is being done and what must be done, to disrupt these systems and protect those at risk.

  
  

Featured Speakers

Moderator:

• Dr James Cockayne – NSW Anti-slavery Commissioner

Panellists:

• Md Abdus Salam – Lived Experience Advisor, Founding Member of the Forced Scamming Survivor Network in Asia

• Jacob Sarkodee – CEO of the Global Counter-Trafficking Group, Chair of the International Counter Slavery Alliance (AICSA)

• (Identity protected) – Regional Researcher at Amnesty International

• Mechelle B.J. Moore – CEO of Global Alms Incorporated

Closing Remarks:

• Chris Evans – Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner

Event Details

🗓️ Date: Wednesday, 30 July 2025

⏰ Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM AEST

🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/eYmTzPqd

This webinar is an urgent call to action, for governments, corporations, civil society, and everyday citizens. Behind the digital interface of a scam lies a very real and painful human story. Let us unmask it together.