Barbed wire fences are seen outside a shuttered Great Wall Park compound where Cambodian authorities said they had recovered evidence of human trafficking, kidnapping and torture during raids on suspected cybercrime compounds in the coastal city of Sihanoukville, Cambodia, September 2022. Photo by Reuters
The Cambodian Government on Friday approved a draft law introducing tougher penalties for operators of online scam networks, as the country faces growing challenges from transnational fraud groups and increasing scrutiny as a hotspot for cybercrime.
Under the draft legislation, ringleaders of online scam centers could face prison sentences of five to 10 years along with fines of up to KHR1 billion (US$246,000). If the operations involve violence, torture, unlawful detention, human trafficking or forced labor, the penalties could rise to 10-20 years in prison and fines of up to KHR2 billion ($502,000 ).
In particularly serious cases, scam kingpins could face 15-30 years in prison or life imprisonment if their illegal activities result in one or more deaths.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), this form of crime is expanding rapidly worldwide, generating estimated losses of around $64 billion each year.
A 2024 report by the United States Institute of Peace estimated that illicit revenues from online scams in Cambodia could exceed $12.5 billion annually, equivalent to roughly half of the country’s GDP.
Prime Minister Hun Manet has previously said the scam centers are seriously damaging Cambodia’s economy and international image, pledging to “clean up” the problem.
Cambodian authorities have continued to intensify their crackdown since launching a nationwide campaign in July last year. The effort has led to the closure of around 250 scam sites and 91 casinos, while roughly 10,000 foreign nationals have been deported. More than 200,000 people are believed to have left scam compounds and departed Cambodia as a result of the operation.
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