Cambodia says it has dismantled scam compounds, while experts call for criminal prosecutions

Cambodia claims to have completely dismantled the large-scale scam compounds it gained international notoriety for, although it did not present strong evidence to support this assertion. Prime Minister Hun Manet announced this during a conference, alongside the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and Interpol, to discuss combating cyberscams.

The Prime Minister vowed that even as syndicates try to split into smaller, decentralized groups, the Cambodian law enforcement will be alert and prepared to dismantle any emerging threats.

However, other nations and experts argue that Cambodia has not done enough to tackle the issue. Mark Taylor, an anti-trafficking consultant and former head of an anti-trafficking program in Cambodia, pointed out that the government has largely focused on closing down the large compounds while neglecting to dismantle the criminal organizations operating these scams and prosecute the Cambodian business and political elites who profited from them.

U.S. Representative Brian Mast, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is among a few political leaders who have called for possible sanctions on key Cambodian political figures, including Deputy Prime Minister Neth Savoeun, due to their alleged connections to the scam operation centers. The rise of cyberscam operations became more prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic, with victims losing hundreds of billions of dollars to these scams.

Southeast Asia, particularly countries with weak law enforcement, witnessed a significant surge in the development of scam compounds, with estimated losses ranging from $88.3 billion to $114.1 billion in 2025, according to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime.