Primarily concentrated in Southeast Asia, online scam networks have reached "industrial scale". According to a 2/2026 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, estimated annual revenue totals 64 billion USD.

Cambodia has emerged as a hotspot for criminal gangs operating a multi-billion USD illicit industry. Scammers in the country defraud internet users worldwide through romance scams and fake cryptocurrency investments.

On 10/3, Cambodian police raided a 30-story building in Phnom Penh, dismantling a scam operation and arresting 57 Cambodian suspects along with 8 Chinese kingpins.

One day after the raid, Phnom Penh police invited local and international reporters to witness the scam center firsthand.

Screens, still active, displayed Telegram channels in Chinese, advertising documents for stocks, social media accounts, and US and UK SIM cards. Other chat windows showed detailed timesheets, including employee breaks for the restroom, meals, and smoking.

One screen contained a note file titled "script," drafted in over 20 European languages.

"If you don't mind, may I ask if you are older or younger than me? I am 33 years old," one conversation in Czech read.

"52," the other party messaged back.

"Men at this age are very charming, worldly, and mature," the scammer's account continued, then sent a photo of a young, attractive woman, adding "this is me, pretty, isn't it?".

This tactic is commonly known as "pig butchering," according to experts and law enforcement. Scammers build rapport with targets over weeks before luring them into investing money in fake platforms and other schemes.

Major General Bun Sosekha, deputy police chief in charge of the Security Unit at the Phnom Penh Police Department, inspected a computer at the scam center.

"The suspects carried out online fraud by convincing foreign victims in Europe to pour money into fake investments," Bun Sosekha stated.

He added that in the past, perpetrators were often foreigners, but "now Cambodians have also started joining this network."

Equipment seized during the raid on the Phnom Penh scam center.

Since the Cambodian government's crackdown began in 7/2025, approximately 250 scam centers and 91 casinos have been closed, according to Sinarith.

He reported that more than 200,000 people have fled scam facilities and left Cambodia, with the country also deporting about 10,000 foreigners.

Equipment from the scam center was seized and gathered at the Phnom Penh Police Department on 11/3.

Among the hundreds of thousands of people involved in scams in the region, some are victims of human trafficking and held against their will, while others work voluntarily. However, the number of those coerced represents a "small proportion," according to Chhay Sinarith, a senior member of Cambodia's Anti-Cybercrime Committee.

The group of scam suspects arrested at the Phnom Penh Police Department on 11/3.

One notable success in Cambodia's scam crackdown was the arrest of Chinese kingpin Chen Zhi in 1/2026. Chen was accused of leading an online scam ring and was indicted by the US last year.

Cambodia has frozen Chen's assets, including real estate and numerous businesses in the country. Although extradited to China, Chen will still face prosecution in Cambodia in the future.

Fake military uniforms and identification cards used by scammers to impersonate Japanese police.

Cambodian authorities acknowledge a shift in criminal networks, with many scam kingpins moving operations from large-scale centers to smaller locations like office buildings or hotels.

Nevertheless, Cambodia has vowed to eradicate this industry by next month, pledging to prosecute low-level scammers, kingpins, and even landlords who rent premises for scam operations.

"We hope this problem will be wiped out by april," Chhay Sinarith said.

Thanh Tam

Photos: AFP, AP