The family of a 9-year-old boy who’s fighting brain cancer is now enduring a different kind of nightmare – scammers who are exploiting his tragic situation to raise cash for themselves.

Notorious scam centers in the Golden Triangle between Myanmar, Thailand and Laos steal billions of dollars a year from U.S. citizens.

Scammers often prey on lonely individuals seeking love, using photos stolen from real people to establish fake profiles. One ...