Key facts
- Cambodia is investigating scam sites linked to two senior ruling party legislators.
- The government granted media access to a former 120-hectare scam compound called "No. 8 Park" in Prey Veng province.
- The "No. 8 Park" compound, which housed an estimated 20,000 people, was raided in February.
- The Cambodian government claims to have investigated over 830 suspected scam sites and dismantled 86 compounds since July 2025.
- Estimates of global losses from cyberscam operations in 2025 ranged from $88.3 billion to $114.1 billion, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.
Cambodia is investigating scam operations linked to two senior legislators from the ruling party, a senior minister disclosed on September 24, 2026. The government is seeking to demonstrate its commitment to combating cyberfraud ahead of an international conference on the issue.
Journalists were recently granted access to a massive former online scam compound in Prey Veng province, known as "No. 8 Park." The 120-hectare site, which began construction in 2023 and could house around 20,000 people, was raided in February based on intelligence from China and the U.S. FBI, as well as information from escaped individuals. Inside, evidence of sophisticated online scams was presented, including mock foreign law enforcement offices.
The media visit preceded the International Conference on Combating Online Scams, co-hosted by Interpol, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and China's Lancang Mekong Cooperation mechanism. Prime Minister Hun Manet stated that Cambodia had "completely dismantled all large-scale scam compounds" and eradicated such operations, though experts suggest that the underlying criminal structures and elite protection may persist.
Since July 2025, Cambodia claims to have investigated over 830 suspected scam sites and dismantled 86 compounds, deporting more than 20,000 foreign suspects. However, some experts, like anti-trafficking consultant Mark Taylor, argue that while compounds have been closed, dismantling the criminal organizations and prosecuting elites who profited from them has been insufficient.
Global losses from cyberscam operations in 2025 were estimated between $88.3 billion and $114.1 billion. U.S. Representative Brian Mast has called for considering sanctions on Cambodian political figures, including Deputy Prime Minister Neth Savoeun, over alleged links to scam centers.