The bipartisan committee, which includes members from both the House and Senate, began the probe in July and has the authority to summon Musk for testimony. Senator Maggie Hassan urged Musk to act after receiving warnings from U.S. and Thai lawmakers.
California prosecutors had also warned Starlink in July 2024 that its satellite services were being exploited by scam operators in Myanmar, but reportedly received no response. SpaceX, Starlink’s parent company, has not commented.
Myanmar and Cambodia have become major hubs for online fraud networks, mostly run by Chinese criminal groups generating billions of dollars annually. U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary John K. Hurley reported that Americans lost over $10 billion to Southeast Asia–based scams in 2024, up 66% from the previous year.
Despite a crackdown earlier this year, satellite images show rapid reconstruction in scam hubs like Myawaddy, along the Thai-Myanmar border, with buildings equipped with Starlink antennas. Data from APNIC indicates Starlink was Myanmar’s top Internet provider from July 3 to October 1.
Last month, the U.S. sanctioned nearly 20 individuals and entities in Myanmar and Cambodia linked to the notorious Shwe Kokko complex and Chinese crime boss She Zhijiang, accused of running large-scale cyber fraud and human trafficking operations.