DW | Cambodian government authorities claim that they’ve cut the activity in scam compounds in half since the start of the year. But do the claims match reality? And what are the repercussions for those who established the country as a global hub for digital scammers?

Most experts agree that Cambodia’s ability to dismantle the illicit industry is less a matter of capability and more a question of motivation. — David Hutt, DW

In October 2025, the US and the UK imposed sanctions against the Prince Group and seized billions of dollars in crypto from the company’s leader, Chen Zhi. The indictments outlined evidence of human trafficking, fraud, and scam networks. In January, Cambodia extradited Chen Zhi to Beijing.

See: “Chairman of Prince Group Indicted for Operating Scam Compounds.”

According to the UN, hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked into the scam center, where they were forced to commit scams on behalf of organized crime networks. Government officials report that 210,000 “suspected scammers” have left Cambodia voluntarily since last June, with another 30,000 foreign nationals arrested and deported.

Amnesty International’s Montse Ferrer told DW that it’s “unclear” whether the authorities are doing as much as they claim. She warns that “our research has shown their previous activities pointed towards complicity in the industry."

Leaders are claiming that the scam problem will be addressed in a month, which seems disconnected from the scale of the actual problem.

“To sustainably dismantle the scam industry, Cambodia will require, first and foremost, a willingness to hold elite perpetrators to account,” Jacob Sims, a visiting fellow at Harvard University's Asia Center, told DW.

Meanwhile, observers and analysts say that compound operators are notified before raids, allowing them to move workers and equipment to smaller or less visible sites. The senior “bosses” of the compounds escape, leaving lower-level people in the organization behind to deal with law enforcement.

Full article: Has Cambodia really cut cybercrime by half?