O’SMACH, Cambodia (AP) — Thai military officials provided journalists with an unprecedented look inside what may be the largest online fraud operation ever discovered, a massive complex spanning 197 acres along the Thailand-Cambodia border.
The facility, known as the O’Smach Resort, covers an area equivalent to 150 football fields and housed an estimated 10,000 people engaged in elaborate online scamming operations targeting victims across the globe.
Thai forces seized control of the compound in December amid border tensions with Cambodia, with military officials stating they captured the area after Cambodian forces used it to launch cross-border attacks.
The sprawling operation represents the growing scale of online fraud networks that have expanded rapidly across Southeast Asia following the pandemic. United Nations human rights officials estimate approximately 300,000 workers are involved in similar scamming enterprises throughout the region.
The complex belonged to Cambodian politician Ly Yong Phat, who currently faces U.S. sanctions for human rights violations connected to this same facility. Construction materials and cranes scattered throughout the grounds suggest ongoing expansion plans.
Inside a four-story office building, evidence of the sophisticated American-targeted schemes remained scattered across desks. Investigators found detailed instruction manuals written in Chinese, along with American SIM cards and leftover snacks from the previous occupants.
Among the materials discovered was an elaborate 24-page character profile for a fictional woman named Mila, created to deceive targets interested in gold options trading. The fabricated backstory included tragic personal details about losing her husband to leukemia, childhood bullying experiences, and a manufactured history of living in South Africa with relatives.
The compound featured 157 buildings total, with 29 structures dedicated to housing the fraudulent operations and their administrative offices. The remaining buildings included large dormitory facilities and upscale living quarters featuring apartments and three-story residential villas.
To serve the predominantly Chinese workforce, the facility included multiple restaurants offering regional cuisines from Hunan, Shaxian, and Sichuan provinces, complete with traditional dishes like hot and sour rice noodles.
Recent FBI statistics reveal Americans suffered losses approaching $21 billion from various scam operations during 2025 alone, highlighting the financial impact of these international fraud networks.
Air Chief Marshal Prapas Sornchaidee, who guided the media tour, emphasized the global nature of the challenge facing law enforcement agencies.
“Every country of the world has to join together to solve this problem, (we) cannot do it alone with Cambodia and Thailand,” Sornchaidee stated.
Despite commitments from both Thailand and Cambodia to address these criminal enterprises, officials acknowledge the international scope of the problem requires coordinated global response efforts.
