Phnom Penh – In a briefing to foreign diplomats, senior minister Chhay Sinarith declared that Cambodia has reached a milestone in its fight against the online‑scam industry, stating that “large‑scale scam activities have been brought fully under control, and there are currently no online scam compounds remaining in the country.” The announcement, released on Friday, marks the latest effort by the government to dismantle a multibillion‑dollar fraud network that has drawn international scrutiny.
Government figures on the crackdown
Since July 2025, Cambodian authorities have investigated 793 suspected locations, resulting in the closure of 624 sites and the detention of nearly 30,000 suspects representing 39 nationalities, according to Minister Sinarith. Officials say the pressure from the international community has helped disrupt the visible front‑end of the scam economy, which was once concentrated in large compounds run largely by Chinese criminal gangs.
Shift to smaller, harder‑to‑detect operations
While the government celebrates the closure of the large compounds, the statement acknowledges that criminal groups have moved to more decentralized, small‑scale activities. These operations now hide in guesthouses, condominiums, rental houses, vehicles and coffee shops, making them more difficult for law‑enforcement to locate and shut down.
Human‑rights groups urge caution
Amnesty International’s co‑regional director Montse Ferrer expressed strong skepticism about the claim that the scam industry has been effectively eliminated. Ferrer noted that the true test of long‑term success will be whether the actors responsible are investigated, prosecuted and prevented from resuming operations. She warned that without independent verification, the government’s statements could mask ongoing exploitation.
Independent reporting highlights lingering concerns
Reuters journalists who visited abandoned or seized scam centres in February, March and April reported evidence of abuse and industrial‑scale fraud that has siphoned billions of dollars from victims worldwide. Their observations suggest that, despite the closure of visible compounds, the underlying networks and political protection that enabled the industry may still exist.
Expert analysis on the broader impact
Jacob Sims, a visiting fellow at Harvard University who studies transnational crime in Southeast Asia, said that while the visible disruption is significant, it should not be confused with the dismantling of the deeper networks. “The bigger risk for the international community is confusing visible disruption with dismantling the underlying networks and political protection that made the industry possible,” he warned.
As Cambodia continues its crackdown, the international community will be watching to see whether the government can move beyond shutting down physical compounds and address the systemic issues that allow online‑scam operations to persist.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
