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Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has said the country will not become a safe haven for cyberscams, as international law enforcement partners called for stronger efforts to dismantle criminal networks operating across Southeast Asia.
Speaking at an anti-fraud summit organised by his government in Phnom Penh on Wednesday, Hun Manet said Cambodian authorities had dismantled all identified small-scale scam compounds as part of a crackdown launched last year.
“Cambodia will never be a safe haven for online scams,” Hun Manet said.
He rejected suggestions that the campaign was for publicity, saying the government’s aim was to eliminate criminal networks permanently and prevent them from returning.
Cambodia has faced pressure from China and the United States after years of accusations that authorities allowed scam centres to expand and generate billions of dollars in illicit profits.
The centres, particularly in Cambodia and war-torn Myanmar, employ scammers who defraud internet users through schemes involving fake romantic relationships and cryptocurrency investments. Some workers participate willingly, while others are trafficked.
Researchers, however, say operators have moved into smaller and less visible locations, while some centres have reportedly received warning of raids.
Delphine Schantz, the regional representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), welcomed Cambodia’s efforts but said further action was needed at national, regional and international levels.
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Chinese Vice Minister of Public Security Yang Weilin also praised cooperation between Beijing and Phnom Penh, but warned that no country could tackle the problem alone.
He said the conditions enabling telecom fraud had not been completely eliminated.
The United States estimates that transnational criminal organisations in Southeast Asia defrauded Americans of at least $18.2 billion through cyber-enabled scams in 2025 alone.
