The Myanmar military published a draft law on May 14 proposing life imprisonment for cryptocurrency scam operators.
summary
- Myanmar’s Anti-Cyber Fraud Bill proposes life imprisonment for operating cryptocurrency fraud centers.
- The draft law allows the death penalty for individuals who use violence, torture, or illegal detention to force victims to commit fraudulent acts.
- Myanmar’s military-backed parliament is scheduled to convene in the first week of next June to move forward with the legislation.
The bill, called the Anti-Internet Fraud Bill, stipulates that anyone convicted of “cryptocurrency fraud” or running an online scam center faces a penalty ranging from ten years to life in prison.
The bill allows the death penalty for operators who use “violence, torture, unlawful arrest and detention, or cruel treatment against another person for the purpose of forcing them to commit Internet fraud.”
Military bill targets cryptocurrency fraud with maximum penalties
Myanmar’s military-backed parliament, which analysts describe as a bare-bones legislature, is scheduled to convene in the first week of June.
The bill is the first legislation introduced by the new government led by coup leader Min Aung Hlaing, who assumed the civilian presidency last month.
Internet fraud vehicles have become a major regional crisis. FBI I mentioned Cryptocurrency-related fraud losses in the United States reached $11.4 billion in the latest crime report, with more than half of all cybercrime losses linked to cryptocurrency schemes. Many of the networks behind these losses operate out of complexes in Southeast Asia.
The US authorities have increased their executive pressure. Ministry of Justice I froze $701 million worth of cryptocurrencies were linked to global fraud networks in April 2026, with pools based in Myanmar and Cambodia cited as relying on trafficked or coerced workers to carry out large-scale fraud.
The scale of Myanmar’s operations is well documented. String analysis Found Romance scammers operating out of the KK Park complex in Myawaddy alone have embezzled nearly $100 million in cryptocurrency from global victims between 2022 and 2024.
The draft law forms part of a broader regional shift. Cambodia adopted anti-fraud legislation in March 2026 with prison sentences of up to 10 years for gang leaders. Singapore plans to launch a dedicated Cyber Command Enforcement Unit in July 2026.
