Cambodia's Anti-Scam Push Disrupts Networks, Forcing Shift to Smaller Hubs: INTERPOL

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 23, 2026 (KPT) — INTERPOL has said Cambodia’s campaign against online scams is having an impact, forcing criminal networks to move from large compounds into smaller, harder‑to‑trace centres. Nicholas Court, director of INTERPOL’s Task Force Coordination Directorate, told the International Conference on Combating Online Scams in Phnom Penh that Cambodia had shown “significant effort” and “significant advancements,” including a new law enacted in April granting Cambodian authorities greater powers to fight fraud. “We have seen that scam centres, especially in this region, are increasingly being moved from large centres into much smaller ones, which are harder to trace,” Court said. “But what that tells us is that law‑enforcement efforts are having an impact here.” He cautioned, however, that fraud remains the world’s largest crime type by volume, with annual global losses estimated at more than $440 billion. INTERPOL has recorded a more than 50 percent increase in fraud‑related notices over the past two years, alongside rising arrests, victim numbers and financial losses. Court said the impact extends beyond finances, undermining businesses, government revenues and individual livelihoods. To strengthen the response, INTERPOL has launched Task Force Shadow Storm in Singapore, bringing investigators from multiple countries together with private‑sector intelligence to dismantle scam centres and protect victims. He noted that operations had already helped freeze nearly 70,000 bank accounts and recover more than $600 million across two major campaigns, while thousands of suspects were arrested. “The threat from fraud is high. The threat from fraud is still growing,” Court said, urging law‑enforcement agencies to match the pace of criminal networks. He added that INTERPOL would support the declaration expected at the Phnom Penh conference, stressing that strategic commitments must be matched by operational cooperation. Cambodia has experienced economic growth in recent years, partly fueled by Chinese investment, but has also become a hub for cybercrime. Large-scale online gambling and scam operations have proliferated, leading to numerous reports of victims from abroad. INTERPOL's statement indicates Cambodia's willingness to cooperate with the international community on these issues, while also highlighting the reality of criminal organizations adapting their tactics to evade authorities.