Scam centers in Cambodia refer to clandestine fraud operations, commonly known as scam centers, controlled by international, organized criminal networks specializing in online fraud and operating in Cambodia.
Their activities are estimated to generate between $12.5 and $19 billion annually, a figure that could represent up to 60% of the country’s gross domestic product.
According to a United Nations report published in 2024, between 100,000 and 150,000 people—mostly foreign nationals recruited through fake job advertisements—are believed to be detained in these compounds and forced to carry out online scams. Several non-governmental organizations and eyewitness accounts report cases of human trafficking, forced labor, torture, child exploitation, and other forms of abuse.
Although these centers operate in violation of Cambodian law, they are reportedly based in casinos, hotels, office buildings, or residential areas, including downtown Phnom Penh and the capital itself. According to various NGO and international institutional reports, they appear to benefit from a degree of impunity, or even complicity from certain local officials.
History
Context
Since the Khmer Rouge regime under Pol Pot, Cambodia has been plagued by systemic and persistent corruption, which has continued even after the formal establishment of a democratic regime.[1] In 2024, the country ranked 22nd among the most corrupt countries in the world, according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.[2]
The rise to power of Hun Sen in 1988, followed by his son Hun Manet in 2023, has been marked by a strengthening of executive authority, centralization of economic resources in the hands of political elites, and the development of close ties between certain government officials and criminal networks operating in Southeast Asia—particularly in gambling, casinos, and human trafficking.[3]
The U.S. State Department has regularly condemned the systematic complicity of Cambodian authorities with these groups, claiming they protect them and benefit financially from their operations.[4][5][6]
This context has fostered a favorable environment for the establishment of transnational criminal networks, including Chinese triads fleeing intensifying repression in China since 2018, particularly in special economic zones like Sihanoukville.[1]
Turning point during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Initially concentrated in the casino sector, criminal networks operating in Cambodia were severely impacted by two major events: the 2019 adoption of a law tightening gambling regulations—specifically banning online gambling—and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which led to a sharp decline in tourism, especially from China.[1][7]
Faced with economic losses, mafia organizations involved in the casino industry began collaborating with long-standing human trafficking networks in the country and gradually shifted their operations to online scams and the exploitation of forced labor.[1]
First documented cases (2021)
Starting in 2021, several establishments previously linked to online gambling—such as casinos and hotels, including in urban centers—were converted into online scam compounds.[1][8]
That same year, videos filmed inside certain scam compounds showing employees subjected to physical abuse and torture were made public, drawing international media attention and concern.[9]
Crackdown from 2022
In 2022, several police operations were conducted in scam compounds across the country.[10] Further raids took place in Sihanoukville in 2024, resulting in the arrest of 450 individuals involved in online gambling and scam operations.[11]
However, these operations did not succeed in dismantling these networks permanently or ending ongoing allegations of government complicity and tolerance, which have been denounced by numerous NGOs and international institutions.[12][13]
In June 2025, a report by Amnesty International brought renewed global media attention to the situation in Cambodian scam compounds.[14][15][16][17]
Following the report’s publication, the Prime Minister announced in July 2025 the creation of a “task force” dedicated to combating online scam centers.[18]
Figures and statistics
Revenue
According to the United States Institute of Peace and consulting firm Humanity Research Consulting, the scam compound industry generates between $12.5 and $19 billion annually, which equates to more than half of Cambodia’s gross domestic product.[15][19][20][21]
Number of forced workers
According to the UN and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), between 100,000 and 150,000 people are exploited in scam compounds in Cambodia.[2][22] Most of them are from China and other Southeast Asian countries. African nationals and children are also among the victims of these trafficking and recruitment networks.[23][24]
Number of compounds
In a report published in June 2025, Amnesty International stated that it had identified at least 53 active scam compounds across 13 different areas in Cambodia.[14][25]
Estimating the total number of victims is difficult, as many do not report their cases to authorities out of shame, fear of retaliation, or lack of legal recourse.
Most scam victims are Chinese nationals, but U.S. citizens and individuals from other countries have also been affected.[2][26]
A report from the Global Anti-Scam Organization indicates that at least 1,838 people of 46 nationalities have lost an average of $169,000 each through so-called pig butchering scams.[8]
Operating methods
Recruitment
Criminal networks lure victims through fake job advertisements posted on platforms like Facebook, Telegram, or WeChat. These ads promise well-paying office jobs at fake e-commerce or tech companies based in Cambodia.[8][9][14]
Upon arrival, victims are often stripped of their identity documents, forcibly relocated, and detained in scam centers against their will.[27][28]
Scam compounds heavily rely on the pig butchering scam, a romance fraud where the scammer poses as a romantic partner and builds an online relationship with the victim over several weeks or months.
Once trust is established, the victim is persuaded to invest in a fraudulent financial scheme, often involving cryptocurrency or fake trading platforms.[29]
Government responsibility
Accusations of complicity from NGOs and international institutions
Despite several police operations in 2022, many observers believe the underground industry continues to thrive due to protection from powerful businesspeople connected to senior Cambodian officials.[30]
In 2024, the U.S. State Department publicly accused the Cambodian government of systematic complicity with criminal networks tied to casinos and scam compounds.[6]
Amnesty International echoed this accusation in its June 2025 report, stating that scam centers benefit from official complicity.[31]
Links to relatives of Prime ministers Hun Sen and Hun Manet
Cambodian tycoon Ly Yong Phat, former special economic adviser to ex-Prime Minister Hun Sen and father of the current Prime minister, was sanctioned by the United States in September 2024 for human rights abuses related to forced labor in online investment scams.[24][33]
The Huione Group, a conglomerate whose main shareholder is Hun To, cousin of Prime Minister Hun Manet, has been accused of enabling its marketplace to be used for illegal transactions since 2021—estimated to total $24 billion. It is considered the world’s largest illegal platform of its kind according to multiple investigations.[2][34]
Media repression
Cambodian journalist Mech Dara, who investigated these networks, announced in 2024 that he was quitting journalism after being arrested by authorities during his investigation.[2][35]
Several other Cambodian journalists who have reported on scam compounds also claim to have been targeted with retaliation and intimidation.[36]
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Cambodia : Sihanoukville, Phnom Penh, Bavet municipality, etc.
