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Cambodia Enacts Tough Anti‑Scam Law as Raids Hit Compound Networks

Allegations of official complicity raise doubts about enforcement.

Overview

  • A new Law on Combating Online Scams took effect by royal decree, setting prison terms that can reach life in cases linked to deaths and protecting coerced workers from prosecution.
  • Police report fresh raids on suspected sites, saying they arrested more than 121 foreign nationals in Preah Sihanouk province as part of a nationwide sweep.
  • A shuttered complex in O’Smach near the Thai border held scripts, mock bank and police booths, and U.S. SIM cards, revealing how operators built fake worlds to win victims’ trust.
  • The government says it has closed more than 250 centers since July 2025 and it has pledged to finish shutting the industry by the end of April.
  • Amnesty International links state‑licensed casinos to torture and trafficking, and the U.S. State Department has alleged official complicity, which Cambodian officials deny.