Interpol is warning that internet-based romance scams and sham investment offers are hitting victims on an unprecedented scale. The agency says many of these schemes are tied to organized criminal groups operating in parts of Southeast Asia and are pulling billions of dollars out of economies worldwide.

Malay Mail reported that Interpol official Nicholas Court, who heads the Taskforce Coordination Directorate, warned that the fraud threat has grown so severe that some governments see it as a national security issue.

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The comments came during the International Conference on Combating Online Scams, held in Phnom Penh on Sept. 23 and 24.

Court singled out digital-asset-related investment fraud as…