SIEM REAP, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodian authorities announced Friday they have created new legislation specifically designed to combat internet fraud operations, following their pledge to eliminate such centers by April’s conclusion.
The Southeast Asian nation has become a central location for fraudulent online activities, where criminals steal money from targets through fake investment opportunities and romantic deceptions. Global victims lose an estimated tens of billions of dollars each year to these schemes.
Simultaneously, thousands of individuals, particularly from neighboring Asian countries, have been lured by fraudulent employment promises and subsequently enslaved to work at these criminal operations under brutal conditions.
Information Minister Neth Pheaktra explained in a public statement: “This law is the most important legal instrument for Cambodia in combating scams online, fighting money laundering and demonstrating that Cambodia is not a paradise or a safe haven for criminals.”
The Cabinet-approved legislation establishes prison terms of five to 10 years alongside fines ranging from 500 million to 1 billion riels ($125,000-250,000) for those who establish or manage technology fraud operations. When human trafficking, violence, imprisonment, or confinement occurs, penalties increase to 10 to 20 years plus fines reaching 2 billion riels ($500,000). Deaths connected to scam operations carry sentences of 15 to 30 years, potentially life imprisonment. Some workers have perished attempting to flee these facilities.
Parliamentary approval remains necessary for the legislation to take effect.
Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith, who leads the Commission for Combating Online Scams, revealed to The Associated Press during a Wednesday conversation that authorities have investigated 250 suspected fraud locations since July, successfully closing approximately 200 operations.
Government prosecutors have initiated 79 criminal cases involving 697 suspected fraud leaders and accomplices since last July, Chhay Sinarith reported.
Nearly 10,000 scam operation workers from 23 nations have been sent home by Cambodian authorities, with under 1,000 individuals still awaiting repatriation. Additional workers have independently returned after escaping or being freed during raids.
Neth Pheaktra emphasized that officials “have made strong efforts to combat this crime in order to protect Cambodia’s reputation and economy, which have previously been damaged by online scams, and the government does not receive any revenue from these activities.”
Previous enforcement campaigns in Cambodia have occurred without significantly impacting scam operations, leading some analysts to question whether authorities can truly eliminate this criminal enterprise.
Harvard University Asia Center visiting fellow Jacob Sims, who specializes in transnational crime, stated: “The real question is whether this effort targets the system that enables the industry, not just the buildings where scams happen. Past crackdowns in Cambodia have often left the financial and protection networks intact, allowing operations to quickly reconstitute.”
