Cambodia seals 190 alleged scam centres in sweeping crackdown on fraud networks
Cambodia government sealed off 200 alleged online scam centers to crackdown on transnational fraud networks, a senior government official said, as authorities allowed rare media access to one of the compounds to show they are getting serious about tackling the problem.
- Feb 12, 2026,
- Updated Feb 12, 2026 3:46 PM IST
“There are about 190 locations that we have sealed off now,” Chhay Sinarith, senior minister and chair of Cambodia's Commission for Combating Online Scams, told Reuters in Phnom Penh before reporters were taken to a large complex in Kampot province near the Vietnam border.
The campaign, which began late last year, has already led to the arrest of 173 senior crime figures and the deportation of 11,000 workers, according to Chhay. The crackdown followed a major international move in which the United States indicted an alleged Chinese scam kingpin, and China extradited him.
Amnesty links a 'humanitarian crisis'
In recent weeks, thousands of workers, some believed to be trafficking victims, have fled scam compounds seeking to return home. Amnesty International has described the situation as a “humanitarian crisis.”
At the Kampot compound, reporters were shown large rooms packed with computer stations, desks covered in documents detailing how to scam Thai victims, studio booths for making phone calls, and even a fake Indian police station used to trick targets abroad.
While the authorities said no arrests were made inside the Kampot casino complex, known as My Casino. Workers reportedly fled after the detention of the alleged boss and tycoon Ly Kuong. Police admitted they were overwhelmed.
Lack of police personnel to stop the scam
“We have only about 1,000 policemen in the entire province, and there are about 300 military policemen,” said Kampot provincial police chief Mao Chanmothurith during the government-organised tour. “Even with both forces combined, we still can’t stop them because there were about 6,000 to 7,000 of them when they left this place.”
The media visit came a week after Thai officials led journalists to a separate compound in disputed border territory that Thai troops had bombed and occupied during a December border conflict. Similar materials were found there, including fake police stations and extensive scam scripts.
Officials now insist this latest campaign is broader, focused on shutting down entire sites and targeting senior figures behind the operations. Cambodia has long downplayed the scale of scam compounds operating within its borders, and earlier crackdowns did little to curb their growth.
“There are about 190 locations that we have sealed off now,” Chhay Sinarith, senior minister and chair of Cambodia's Commission for Combating Online Scams, told Reuters in Phnom Penh before reporters were taken to a large complex in Kampot province near the Vietnam border.
The campaign, which began late last year, has already led to the arrest of 173 senior crime figures and the deportation of 11,000 workers, according to Chhay. The crackdown followed a major international move in which the United States indicted an alleged Chinese scam kingpin, and China extradited him.
Amnesty links a 'humanitarian crisis'
In recent weeks, thousands of workers, some believed to be trafficking victims, have fled scam compounds seeking to return home. Amnesty International has described the situation as a “humanitarian crisis.”
At the Kampot compound, reporters were shown large rooms packed with computer stations, desks covered in documents detailing how to scam Thai victims, studio booths for making phone calls, and even a fake Indian police station used to trick targets abroad.
While the authorities said no arrests were made inside the Kampot casino complex, known as My Casino. Workers reportedly fled after the detention of the alleged boss and tycoon Ly Kuong. Police admitted they were overwhelmed.
Lack of police personnel to stop the scam
“We have only about 1,000 policemen in the entire province, and there are about 300 military policemen,” said Kampot provincial police chief Mao Chanmothurith during the government-organised tour. “Even with both forces combined, we still can’t stop them because there were about 6,000 to 7,000 of them when they left this place.”
The media visit came a week after Thai officials led journalists to a separate compound in disputed border territory that Thai troops had bombed and occupied during a December border conflict. Similar materials were found there, including fake police stations and extensive scam scripts.
Officials now insist this latest campaign is broader, focused on shutting down entire sites and targeting senior figures behind the operations. Cambodia has long downplayed the scale of scam compounds operating within its borders, and earlier crackdowns did little to curb their growth.