PHNOM PENH: Cambodia has insisted that its nationwide crackdown on technology-enabled scams is neither a temporary campaign nor an exercise intended to improve the country’s image, as it prepares to bring government representatives, law enforcement agencies, and technology and financial-sector actors to Phnom Penh for a major international anti-scam conference next month.
“Cambodia is not a haven, not a safe place and will not allow its territory to become an operational base for criminal scam networks,” announced the Kingdom’s anti-scam authority, ahead of the International Conference on Combating Online Scams (ICCOS 2026).
The Secretariat of the Commission for Combating Technology-enabled Scams (CCTC) said the fight against online scams is a ongoing responsibility, describing it as a matter of regularly “cleaning one’s own house” rather than a short-lived campaign staged for appearances.
The Sept 23-24 conference in Phnom Penh will be themed “Acting Together towards Breaking the Chain and Eradication of Online Scams”, with Prime Minister Hun Manet scheduled to preside over the official opening.
The government’s latest messaging is part of efforts to demonstrate that its intensified enforcement campaign will continue beyond individual raids, as the Kingdom’s links to large-scale online scam operations remain the subject of international scrutiny.
The conference will give Cambodia an opportunity to present its enforcement record directly to international partners at a time when the country is seeking to counter the perception that it provides a permissive environment for large-scale scam operations.
The CCTC claimed Cambodia is pursuing a policy of “no tolerance, no exception and no retreat” against technology-enabled scam networks.
The secretariat recently released enforcement figures that it suggested showed the scale of the crackdown between July 2025 and July 2026.
Authorities conducted operations at or investigated 751 locations during that period, of which 605 were sealed. A total of 388 cases involving 4,147 suspects, including alleged ringleaders and accomplices from 27 nationalities, were referred to the courts, according to the CCTC. These figures have already been reported by the Post.
Authorities inspected 195 licensed casinos, resulting in 20 licences being revoked and another 29 suspended. Twenty-three others had expired or ceased operations.
The campaign has also involved thousands of foreign nationals. According to the secretariat, Cambodian authorities processed 21,666 foreigners from 38 nationalities for repatriation, with Chinese, Vietnamese, Pakistani, Indonesian, Bangladeshi and Indian nationals among the largest groups.
Rather than putting those enforcement figures at the centre of its latest message, however, the CCTC is emphasising the longer-term nature of the campaign and the need to confront an industry that crosses national borders and increasingly exploits sophisticated technology and financial systems.
For Cambodia, that means the challenge is no longer measured simply by the number of compounds raided or suspects arrested.
That argument will form a central part of ICCOS 2026.
The conference is expected to bring together senior government officials, policymakers, international organisations, law enforcement agencies, financial regulators and institutions, cybersecurity specialists, technology companies and international partners.
Its objectives include examining the roots and evolution of scam networks and the increasing use of artificial intelligence, deepfakes and cryptocurrencies by criminal groups.
Participants are also expected to discuss improving information sharing between countries, cross-border law enforcement cooperation and financial investigations, as well as strengthening legal frameworks and victim protection.
The Cambodian government has repeatedly stated that no country can effectively tackle technology-enabled scams alone because the networks operate across jurisdictions, requiring coordinated action among governments and other actors.
ICCOS will therefore promote both “whole-of-government” and “whole-of-society” approaches, bringing together authorities and sectors whose systems can either be exploited by scam networks or used to disrupt them.
The CCTC’s latest message suggests the government wants the September conference to demonstrate a transition from individual enforcement operations towards a sustained strategy involving prosecution, financial disruption, international intelligence sharing, victim protection and prevention.
Ahead of the meeting, authorities plan a broader domestic and international communications campaign covering the periods before, during and after the conference. Post-conference activities are expected to include dissemination of its outcomes, press briefings and continued public education aimed at improving digital literacy.
The government said preparations are also being made to ensure security and public order for visiting international delegations.
Ultimately, however, the government’s assertion that the crackdown is “not temporary” and “not for show” will be measured beyond the two-day conference.
Sustained prosecutions, disruption of the financial and technological infrastructure behind scam operations, protection of victims and continued action against operators and their networks will determine whether the campaign produces lasting results.
ICCOS 2026 provides Cambodia with a platform to make its case internationally. The longer-term challenge will be demonstrating that the enforcement drive continues after the delegates have left Phnom Penh. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
