UN Special Rapporteur exposes “living hell” inside Cambodia scam centres

In an end-of-mission report on 31 July, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Cambodia, Tom Andrews, detailed the harrowing experiences of individuals trapped within Cambodia's cyber scam networks. He described these "scam compounds" as resembling prisons, with iron-barred windows, razor wire fencing, and heavily guarded entrances.

The victims, often lured by false promises of legitimate jobs, discovered they were being held captive and forced to operate online scams that generated billions of dollars in illegal profits. Andrews recounted instances of torture, solitary confinement, food deprivation, sexual violence, and killings within these compounds. He emphasized that the expansion of transnational cybercriminal networks has emerged as one of Cambodia's most significant human rights challenges, with estimates suggesting that 100,000 or more individuals have been trafficked to the country and forced to participate in scam operations.

Some victims were finally released when guards abandoned their posts, but many were left without money, passports, or resources to rebuild their lives. Despite efforts by the Cambodian government, including the establishment of the Commission for Combating Online Scams, Andrews acknowledged that scam operations persist, with some groups relocating or changing their methods.

He criticized the lack of capacity to properly assess and support survivors, warning that many released individuals are being treated as illegal migrants and returned to their home countries without adequate assistance. Andrews called for strengthened efforts to dismantle scam networks and hold powerful individuals connected to the industry accountable.