PHNOM PENH: The Phnom Penh Municipal Unity Command has busted another scam centre in the capital’ Daun Penh district, detaining more than 300 people.
The authorities searched the Wyndham Grand Phnom Penh Capital Hotel, in Srah Chak commune, Daun Penh District, after determining that it was being used to host a large scam operation.
A total of 311 people (including 31 women) of five different nationalities were taken into custody. They included 254 Chinese nationals (144 of whom had no passports), 30 Malaysians, 23 Vietnamese and 2 Indians. A total of 615 mobile phones were seized, along with numerous computers.
According to authorities, the suspects used the site to commit various online scams, such as luring victims into investments using a Singapore-based company as a front to target victims in Malaysia, enticing victims to invest in digital currency and impersonating government officials to target victims in Taiwan. Additionally, evidence of drug use was also discovered at the site.
The foreigners and evidence were transferred to the Phnom Penh Municipal Police Headquarters.
The current large-scale crackdown follows the promulgation of a law against online scamming on the 6th [of April], which requires property owners to cooperate and prohibits them from renting houses or real estate locations to online scammers.
Chhay Sinarith, standing vice-chairman of the Commission for Combating Technology Crimes (CCTC), has once again called on those who have been lured into scamming activities with criminal groups or are involved in technology-based scams to come forward, confess and provide information to the authorities to help identify the ringleaders and their accomplices.
He urged property and building owners to remain vigilant and not to be enticed or agree to rent their buildings or homes to criminal groups for committing crimes, in order to participate in the total elimination of technology-based scamming activities from Cambodia. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
