Skepticism Greets Cambodia's Assertion That Cybercrime Scam Compounds Have Been Eradicated

Cambodia has announced that it no longer hosts any of the scam compounds that previously transformed the nation into a global hub for cybercrime, though rights groups and analysts warn this assertion cannot be independently verified.

In a statement released on Friday, Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith—who leads the government’s ad hoc Commission for Combating Online Scams—informed 50 foreign diplomats and international officials on Thursday that large-scale scam activities have been fully brought under control, leaving no online scam compounds remaining in the country.

The government attributes this milestone to the complete eradication of large-scale operations, strict legal actions against perpetrators, networks, and involved officials, and the establishment of a systematic cybersecurity legal framework. However, the statement noted that criminal networks have adapted by shifting to decentralised operations, hiding within guesthouses, condominiums, rental houses, vehicles, and coffee shops, which authorities vow to continue targeting.

These compounds, primarily operated by Chinese criminal syndicates, have proliferated across Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, and Myanmar-Thai border regions since the pandemic. The Reuters news agency reported that it has not independently verified the government's eradication claim.

Amnesty International’s co-regional director, Montse Ferrer, expressed strong doubt regarding the claim, stating that the organization remains highly skeptical that the scamming compound industry has been effectively eliminated. Ferrer emphasized that the true measure of success lies in whether responsible actors have been investigated, prosecuted, and prevented from resuming operations.

Independent anti-trafficking consultant Mark Taylor similarly dismissed the government's declaration, noting that placing strong confidence in the assertion is severely misplaced. Taylor pointed to credible indicators that significant scamming operations and the recruitment of foreign workers into Cambodia for illicit work persist.

Addressing enforcement figures, Chhay Sinarith reported that law enforcement investigated 793 suspected locations and raided 624 sites between July 2025 and August 20, 2026, detaining nearly 30,000 suspects across 39 nationalities. Authorities successfully rescued and deported 58,266 foreign nationals, while 3,477 suspects from 29 nationalities were arrested and jailed pending trial.