Myanmar passes anti-online scam law with death penalty, rapid bank freezes

Myanmar’s parliament has approved an Anti-Online Scam Bill introducing severe penalties, rapid financial controls, and expanded surveillance powers as authorities seek to curb the country’s multibillion-dollar cyberfraud industry.

The bill was passed Tuesday during a joint session of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw in the capital Naypyidaw, according to the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar.

Speaker Aung Lin Dwe announced that lawmakers had approved the legislation in full after resolving disputed provisions between the two chambers.

Under the law, authorities must establish a 24-hour hotline and online complaint system for victims, according to a draft text published in May in the state-run newspaper.

Banks may freeze suspected scam accounts within 15 minutes after verification, while suspicious accounts can be suspended for up to 72 hours.

Victims must report the case within 24 hours, after which police are required to register a First Information Report promptly.

The bill also requires banks, mobile payment providers, telecom operators, and internet service providers to exchange data through a centralized database. The system will monitor bank accounts, SIM cards, IP addresses, phone records, and financial flows in real time.

Those convicted of operating scam centers, cryptocurrency scams, recruiting workers, or trafficking people into scam operations face sentences ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment.

Violence, torture, or unlawful detention linked to scam operations may carry life imprisonment or the death penalty, while capital punishment is mandatory when such acts cause death.

The legislation comes as scam compounds have expanded across conflict-hit Myanmar, where trafficked workers have reported abuse and forced labor.