The American newspaper Wall Street Journal published an article on 19/4 titled "How cybercrime became a leading industry in 'Scambodia'". The phrase "Scambodia" is a pun combining "scam" and "Cambodia".

Speaking on 22/4, Tep Asnarith, Undersecretary and spokesperson for the Cambodian Ministry of Information, stated that the article's language "damaged the nation's honor".

Asnarith argued that linking a sovereign nation's name with global crime incites racism and insults the dignity of Cambodian people, harming the country's international standing. He criticized the article as "unprofessional, emotionally driven, and using sensational language to attract attention", emphasizing that global cybercrime requires evidence and facts, not derogatory remarks.

Online scam suspects arrested at a complex in Cambodia's Sihanoukville province in July 2025. *Photo: AKP*.

Undersecretary Asnarith affirmed Cambodia's unwavering commitment to eliminate all forms of online fraud through enhanced law enforcement.

The Secretariat of the Cambodian Anti-Online Scam Committee (CCOS) reported intensified nationwide crime crackdown operations. From July 2025 to mid-April 2026, authorities detected over 250 online scam cases, including raids on 91 casinos. Additionally, from January 2025 to 19/4, Cambodian authorities deported 13,039 foreigners involved in online scam activities.

The Wall Street Journal has not yet responded to the information.