Cambodia Inspects Former Online Scam Hub Ahead of International Counter-Fraud Conference

On September 21, 2026, national and international journalists from 39 media outlets, totaling 78 individuals, visited the former site of alleged online scam operations at the Monchey Commercial Center, also known as 8 Park, in Krabau village, Kamchay Mear district, Prey Veng province. The event was organized by the Secretariat of the Inter-Ministerial Committee to Combat Online Scams (ICCOS) and facilitated by the Ministry of Information. The Monchey Commercial Center project began in 2023. By 2024, foreign nationals working at the site numbered around 7,000, increasing to nearly 20,000 in 2025. The majority of these individuals were from China, Pakistan, India, and Nepal. In October 2025, authorities initiated an investigation into an individual named Chen Zhi, leading to the revocation of his citizenship and his repatriation to China. Subsequently, foreign nationals began to leave the 8 Park site in succession. Investigations by specialized authorities revealed that 8 Park was owned by the Prince Group. Regarding property owners and development teams, authorities have built legal cases. Eang Soklim was sent to the PJ Prison in Phnom Penh. For involved parties who are still at large, Cambodian law enforcement is cooperating with international authorities to apprehend and bring them to justice. This extensive media coverage by national and international journalists precedes Cambodia's hosting of the "International Conference on Combating Online Scams" from September 23 to 24, 2026, in Phnom Penh. The conference's theme is "Together Towards Breaking the Chain and Ending Online Scams," with participation expected from representatives of over 20 countries and three major international organizations. According to Cambodian authorities, from July 2025 to August 2026, law enforcement agencies investigated over 830 suspicious locations and conducted actual crackdowns on 663 sites. Among these, 86 large-scale online scam operations were managed and dismantled. During these operations, more than 20,000 foreign suspects were expelled. Cambodia considers technological scams (Online Scams) a serious challenge and acknowledges itself as a victim of this transnational crime. Nevertheless, Cambodia is taking stringent measures to combat and eradicate these offenses, working closely with countries worldwide, including China, the United States, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and ASEAN nations, to jointly resolve this issue effectively. Cambodian authorities continue their mission to combat Online Scams, which have evolved from large-scale operations to smaller, fragmented activities. The crackdown on scam networks persists, with law enforcement constantly investigating, monitoring, and suppressing fraudulent activities to prevent the formation of new networks and the modification of operational methods by existing ones. The domestic crackdown is linked with international cooperation, as Online Scam offenses are transnational and can involve victims, suspects, financial networks, and technological infrastructure located in different countries. Source: CPP Cambodia