Cambodia to Give International Delegates a Firsthand Look at Closed Scam Compounds

Cambodia plans to open the doors of its shuttered online scam compounds to visiting officials from more than 20 nations, including representatives of the FBI, Interpol and other global bodies, during a conference on fighting technology-enabled fraud held this week.

Speaking ahead of the September 23-24 International Conference on Combating Technology-Facilitated Fraud, Information Minister Neth Pheaktra emphasised that no single country, Cambodia included, can defeat cross-border crime on its own.

The event is being backed by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime's regional office for Asia and the Pacific, Interpol, and the Lancang-Mekong Integrated Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation Centre.

A Focus on Cooperation

Delegates from over 20 countries spanning the Americas, Europe and Asia, together with six international organisations, are attending the gathering. Their aim is to study how online scams are changing so quickly, deepen joint efforts against the crime, and trade proven strategies, while Cambodia offers insights drawn from its own campaign.

As part of the programme, participants will be taken on a guided visit to some of the largest scam operations that authorities have since shut down.

"The purpose of this conference is not to blame any nation, but to join forces in stopping and preventing these crimes," Pheaktra said.

He added that Cambodia would not imitate a neighbouring country, an apparent nod to Thailand, which he claimed had used the anti-scam effort as a cover to invade Cambodia and take control of Cambodian land.

Scale of the Crackdown

Hae Makara, who serves on the Ad Hoc Commission for Combating Technology-Facilitated Fraud, said the Kingdom's operations had led to the seizure of roughly 300,000 mobile phones, with relevant agencies now tackling illicit financial flows amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars.

According to Pheaktra, Cambodian forces have carried out raids on more than 700 suspected sites and confirmed over 600 as tied to scam activity. Among these, 86 were classified as major operations or full scam compounds.

He also reported that around 300,000 foreign nationals have left Cambodia voluntarily, while some 20,000 have been deported. Those numbers exclude more than 2,000 individuals whose cases are still pending in the courts.