Nowadays, opening social media platforms like Facebook or YouTube immediately exposes us to flashy advertisements: “Fake job offers,” “Want to earn from home part-time?”, “Work just three hours a day,” or “Do you need an urgent loan?”. Alongside these is the pervasive lure of online gambling. Unfortunately, behind these enticing advertisements hides a dangerous trap. Countless people in Bangladesh are losing their hard-earned money every day. The recent discovery of organized cybercrime bases in several resorts and hotels in Cox’s Bazar is a stark warning of how serious this threat has become. The concern was further underscored on September 10, when police detained at least 70 people from an eight-story building in Chattogram’s Khulshi area and seized more than 170 electronic devices.
According to police, around 250 to 300 Chinese nationals had established bases in Cox’s Bazar for different online criminal activities. They reportedly rented resorts along Marine Drive as operational bases. In a recent raid, police arrested six Chinese nationals and seized 1,938 iPhones, laptops, computers and other devices. Investigations reportedly linked the group to online fraud, embezzlement, gambling, casino operations, fake trading websites and hacking. Bases were reportedly established in six resorts and hotels in Ukhiya, Ramu and Cox’s Bazar town. At one resort, rooms were reportedly made soundproof and expensive generators installed to ensure uninterrupted operations. The group also reportedly used Starlink instead of local internet connections.
These incidents indicate that Bangladesh may be facing not isolated cybercrimes, but organized networks capable of establishing physical bases, exploiting digital platforms and moving illicit money across borders. Internationally known as “scam factories,” such networks pose a serious threat to our economy and society.
If these operations are not dismantled from their roots, Bangladesh could lose thousands of crores of valuable foreign currency. A few isolated raids are not enough. The government must conduct regular operations against suspected cybercrime bases, strengthen digital security, monitor suspicious financial transactions, establish a responsive national cyber hotline, strengthen international intelligence cooperation and eliminate fake or unregistered SIM cards.
At the same time, landlords and resort owners must properly verify tenants and guests rather than being driven solely by higher rent. Reports that some local resort owners may have gone beyond renting out their properties and assisted these groups in maintaining their activities also raise serious concerns. But the concern should not be limited to property owners. If a foreign criminal network has operated with assistance from local Bangladeshi individuals, those local links and associates also warrant careful attention from law enforcement and security agencies. Identifying and monitoring such networks is essential to understanding how these operations were established and sustained.
Citizen awareness is equally important. The government must launch aggressive anti-scam campaigns on the same platforms used by criminals. The message must be clear: easy money can be a dangerous trap.
The Cox’s Bazar discoveries, reinforced by the Khulshi operation, should serve as a major wake-up call. Cybercriminals are no longer operating only in the shadows of the internet—they are establishing bases within our communities. Only proactive law enforcement, financial vigilance, international cooperation and an alert public can protect Bangladesh from this growing cyber threat.
