Cambodia pushes back against ‘scam haven’ claims, vows tougher crackdown

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet vowed at an anti-fraud summit that his country would never become a "safe haven" for cyber scams, despite international partners touting law enforcement successes and warning that more must be done. Southeast Asia, particularly Cambodia and Myanmar, has become a hub for crime syndicates that run scam operations, which often involve fake romantic relationships or cryptocurrency investment schemes.

Hun Manet claimed that his government had "completely dismantled all light-scale scam compounds" in a high-profile crackdown launched last year, denying that it was a "public relations campaign" and emphasizing the effort to "permanently eradicate criminal networks and prevent their re-emergence". The move came under pressure from key allies China and the US, which have long accused Cambodia of allowing scam centers to thrive, generating billions of dollars in illicit profits.

However, researchers say scammers have dispersed to smaller, lower-profile locations, and in some cases, scam centers were given advance notice of raids. While the UNODC praised Cambodia's efforts, it noted that more needs to be done at national, regional, and international levels. Chinese and FBI officials also praised Cambodia's cooperation but cautioned that the breeding ground for telecom fraud has not been fully eradicated.

The US estimates that transnational criminal organizations in Southeast Asia defrauded Americans of at least $18.2 billion through cyber-enabled scams in 2025 alone.