Cambodia Strengthens UK Ties to Combat Online Scams, Hosts International Conference

Phnom Penh – Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, Sar Sokha, met with Lord Hanson, UK Minister for Security, and his delegation at the Ministry of Justice on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 23, 2026. The Deputy Prime Minister welcomed Lord Hanson and his delegation to the Kingdom of Cambodia and expressed gratitude for their participation in the International Conference on Combating Technology-Based Scams, hosted by Cambodia. During the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Sar Sokha highlighted the Cambodian government's efforts and commitment to eradicating technology-based scams, particularly ensuring that major scamming hubs do not return to Cambodia. He further informed Lord Hanson that technology-based scams represent a new form of transnational crime, and Cambodia is a victim country, with criminals using it as a location to defraud both Cambodian citizens and people in other countries. He added that with advancements in AI technology, technology-based scams have transformed from large hubs to smaller, individual operations, with criminals using AI to replace human operators. Furthermore, criminals are using cryptocurrency systems to transfer illicit proceeds to other countries, a system that Cambodia currently lacks the capacity to access. Therefore, combating technology-based scams requires joint cooperation from all countries and stakeholders, as exemplified by Cambodia hosting the international conference under the theme "Together Towards Cutting Off the Chain and Ending Technology-Based Scams." The Deputy Prime Minister also conveyed to Lord Hanson that Cambodia needs support, encouragement, and cooperation from all relevant countries and stakeholders to enhance the effectiveness of eradicating these crimes for the benefit of the Cambodian people, the people of Britain, and people worldwide. In response, Lord Hanson expressed his support for the international conference and positively assessed the Cambodian government's efforts and commitment to eradicating technology-based scams. He acknowledged that technology-based scams are not a problem for any single country but a shared global issue requiring joint cooperation. Lord Hanson also emphasized the importance of achieving tangible results and long-term implementation effectiveness, disrupting illegal financial networks, protecting victims, and raising awareness about technology-based scams. Lord Hanson affirmed the UK government's readiness to provide necessary cooperation and support in combating technology-based scams, stating that cooperation between Cambodia and the UK will yield positive results in the future. Both Deputy Prime Minister Sar Sokha and Lord Hanson agreed and affirmed their readiness to provide mutual cooperation between the two countries and to further strengthen this cooperation to combat technology-based scams and other transnational crimes. Source: CEN Cambodia