Speaking at an international conference on online fraud organized by the Cambodian Government in Phnom Penh on September 23, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet affirmed that the country will not become a "safe haven" for online fraud activities, and pledged to continue handling this type of cross-border crime.
According to Mr. Hun Manet, the campaign launched last year completely dismantled small-scale fraud facilities. The Cambodian leader also rejected the opinion that this was just a campaign to improve his image; emphasizing the goal of eliminating criminal networks in the long term and preventing them from operating again.
According to AFP, Southeast Asia, especially Cambodia and Myanmar, have in recent years become hotspots for online scams. Subjects use many tricks to steal money from Internet users, from building fake romantic relationships to enticing them to invest in cryptocurrencies. Among those working at these facilities are both voluntary participants and those believed to be victims of human trafficking.
Assessing the measures being implemented, Ms. Delphine Schantz, regional representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) acknowledged Cambodia's efforts, but said that more action is still needed at the national, regional and international levels.
Also mentioning the requirement for cross-border cooperation, Chinese Deputy Minister of Public Security Yang Weilin said that no country can stand aside or solve the problem on its own; the conditions that facilitate telecommunications fraud have not been completely eliminated.
On the US side, US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) official Stephen Flores emphasized that cooperation between law enforcement agencies needs to be based on trust and shared responsibility.
Previously, during a visit to Phnom Penh in July 2026, FBI Director Kash Patel identified combating online fraud as one of his "top priorities"; calling for increased efforts to hold responsible the leaders of fraud rings and promoting information sharing about officials suspected of assisting this activity.
According to US estimates, in 2025 alone, transnational criminal organizations in Southeast Asia have appropriated at least 18.2 billion USD from Americans through forms of technology-based fraud.
