Cambodia Scam Centers Increase Despite Crackdown, Report Says
The rights group said 86 compounds remained active and only 24 showed state intervention, while 73 survivors reported trafficking and abuse.
- On Monday, Amnesty International released a report challenging Cambodia's official success claims, stating the country has failed to dismantle the majority of its online scam industry despite a year-long government crackdown.
- Amnesty identified 86 scam compounds, yet evidence shows state intervention at only 24 sites; criminal networks frequently adapt to evade law enforcement through apparent collusion with police and mid-crackdown relocations.
- Researchers interviewed 73 survivors from 16 countries who reported widespread slavery, torture, and forced labor; notably, none were recognized as trafficking victims by Cambodian authorities despite meeting international definitions.
- Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith rejected the report as "selective, one-sided," arguing it ignores ongoing nationwide enforcement efforts, including arrests, asset seizures, and the dismantling of criminal compounds across multiple provinces.
- The United States estimates Americans lost $10 billion to Southeast Asian scam centers in 2024, highlighting the transnational scale of a cyberfraud industry that has turned parts of Southeast Asia into hubs generating billions annually.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Cambodia scam centres still operating despite crackdowns, says Amnesty
Amnesty alleges abuse of trafficking victims and criticises authorities for treating them as migrants, while Cambodian government rejects report, cites ongoing enforcement and challenges from transnational criminal networks
Amnesty says Cambodia scam centres still operating despite crackdowns
June 8 - Dozens of suspected global scam compounds in Cambodia are still in operation despite a months-long crackdown by authorities, Amnesty International said in a report on Monday. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Cambodia scam centres persist despite crackdown: Report
PHNOM PENH: Cambodia has failed to dismantle much of its online scam industry despite a year-long crackdown that authorities said would eliminate it, according to an Amnesty International report that challenges official claims of success.

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