SpaceX bricks thousands of Starlink kits used in scams

More than 2,500 Starlink devices were disabled over suspicions that a Burmese scam ring had used them, the VP of business operations at Elon Musk's space company has announced.

SpaceX reportedly took action against thousands of Starlink devices in Myanmar, where authorities believe a major scam center operates. Starlink is perfect for attackers wishing to operate away from the watchful eye of the law, as it’s designed to provide fast bandwidth connections in remote areas.

Earlier this year, Cybernews wrote about Thai authorities struggling to fight off Chinese Starlink smugglers who provide Burmese scam centers with the SpaceX technology.

Meanwhile, the Starlink operator says the company complies with local laws in all locations it operates in and tries to identify when its tech is misused. It recognizes that “the same technology that can provide immense benefits has a risk of misuse.”

SpaceX complies with local laws in all 150+ markets where @Starlink is licensed to operate. SpaceX continually works to identify violations of our Acceptable Use Policy and applicable law because - as with nearly all consumer electronics and services - the same technology that…

undefined Lauren Dreyer (@LaurenDreyer) October 22, 2025

“On the rare occasion we identify a violation, we take appropriate action, including working with law enforcement agencies around the world. In Myanmar, for example, SpaceX proactively identified and disabled over 2,500 Starlink Kits in the vicinity of suspected scam centers,” Layren Dreyer, SpaceX’s VP for business operations, said.

The move came after Myanmar’s military reportedly busted a massive scam center bordering Thailand. Authorities arrested over 2,000 individuals involved in the center’s operations and confiscated numerous Starlink kits, posting photos of Myanmar soldiers posing with the seized SpaceX equipment.

Myanmar has been engulfed in a civil war since 2021, pushing many to seek any form of viable income, legal or otherwise. International organizations point to scam centers using the workforce of trafficked people, in essence creating scam compounds, running on slave labor.

Last month, the US Treasury sanctioned Myanmar and Cambodia over out-of-hand scammer operations, leading to American citizens losing tens of billions of dollars.

"Southeast Asia's cyberscam industry not only threatens the well-being and financial security of Americans, but also subjects thousands of people to modern slavery," Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley said in a statement.