Cambodia: Mega Fraud Factories—Trafficking, Political Corruption & State Complicity
UNODC and global reports identify Cambodia as hosting mega fraud factories in key regions like Sihanoukville, Poipet, Phnom Penh, Bavet, Koh Kong, Pursat, and Tbong Khmum.
An estimated 100,000–350,000 individuals have been trafficked, their passports confiscated, detained, beaten, or electrocuted if fraud targets are unmet.
Key political figures are reportedly complicit:
- Senator Ly Yong Phat (LYP Group, PM adviser), owner of O‑Smach Resort—sanctioned by the U.S. for forced labor and related abuses.
- Kok An, owner of Anco Brothers and multiple casinos—accused of laundering funds from scam compounds.
- Huione Group, tied to Hun To (PM’s cousin), operates shadow banking and crypto platforms handling some US$24 billion in recent years.
A May 2025 Humanity Research Consultancy report states, “Cambodian politicians profit from online scam centres,” generating US$19 billion—over 60% of GDP.
Pig‑butchering scam operations rely heavily on trafficked workers to establish trust with foreign victims before defrauding them via crypto investment schemes.
Facilities include repurposed hotels/casinos, satellite internet (Starlink), and crypto shadow‑banking services that elude regulation.
In February 2025, Cambodia formed an Anti‑Online‑Fraud Task Force with Thailand, China, the U.S., and UNODC. However, no significant prosecutions of political figures have been made.
Human rights experts advocate a rights‑based response: protecting victims, ending prosecution of victims, safe repatriation, and multi‑jurisdictional investigations.
