Cambodia to Host International Conference on Combating Online Scams

The Cambodian government has demonstrated strong responsibility and commitment to collaborating with the international community to combat and eradicate online scams. Cambodia is set to host the "International Conference on Combating Technological Scams" for two days, from September 23rd to 24th, 2026, in Phnom Penh, with the participation of representatives from over 20 countries and three major international organizations. According to H.E. Net Pheaktra, Minister of Information, speaking at a press conference on September 18, 2026, Cambodia's hosting of the "International Conference on Combating Technological Scams" signifies the strong political will and high responsibility of the Cambodian government. He emphasized open collaboration and called for joint actions from the international community to fight online scams, as this issue poses a shared challenge both regionally and globally. H.E. Minister Net Pheaktra highlighted that Cambodia acknowledges online scams as a serious challenge and that Cambodia itself has been a victim of this transnational crime. Nevertheless, Cambodia is taking firm measures to combat and eradicate these offenses at their roots, while closely cooperating with various countries worldwide, including China, the United States, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and ASEAN member states, to jointly resolve this issue effectively. Mr. Hay Makara, Secretary-General of the Information Technology Center Secretariat, stated that technological crimes are currently closely linked with three other serious offenses: human trafficking, online scams, and money laundering. Concurrently, H.E. Mok Chanthouth, Secretary of State of the Council of Ministers and Vice Chairman of the Content Subcommittee, informed that online scam offenses are complex and interconnected, involving organized networks spanning from one country to another, constituting transnational criminal offenses. He explained that this is precisely why the head of government decided to organize this international conference. The aim is to gather senior officials from various countries, as well as policymakers and law enforcement officers, to sit together, discuss, and propose ideas for combating these technological scam activities. The Vice Chairman of the Content Subcommittee further added that the organization of this event is also supported by three international organizations. He elaborated on the three objectives of the conference: 1. To understand the complex and rapid evolution of technological scam offenses. 2. To enhance cooperation, as it is a transnational crime that no single country can handle alone. 3. To exchange experiences regarding the strengths and weaknesses of each operation. It is noteworthy that from July 2025 to August 2026, Cambodian authorities have investigated over 830 suspected locations and cracked down on 663 actual sites. Among these, 86 large-scale online scam locations were brought under control and dismantled, and over 20,000 foreign suspects were deported. Cambodia will host the "International Conference on Combating Technological Scams" from September 23rd to 24th, 2026, in Phnom Penh, under the theme "Together Towards Severing the Chain and Ending Online Technological Scams." This historic event will be attended by representatives from over 20 countries and three major international organizations. Information Source: CPP Cambodia