Cambodia’s high-profile crackdown on online scam operations has failed to dismantle most identified compounds, with several sites allegedly continuing to operate or relocating during enforcement actions, Amnesty International said in a new report released on June 8th.
The report, Falling Through the Cracks: Cambodia’s “Crackdown” on Scamming Compounds and the Victims It Has Failed, said Amnesty identified 86 scamming compounds across Cambodia as of the end of April 2026, up from 53 sites in its June 2025 report. The rights group said it found evidence of state intervention at only 24 of the 86 sites, despite Cambodian government claims that authorities had acted against more than 250 scam centers nationwide.
The findings challenge the government’s account of a nationwide enforcement campaign targeting an online fraud industry that has drawn scrutiny across Southeast Asia. Amnesty said the crackdown, launched in July 2025, was often reactive, lacked transparency and was undermined by apparent coordination between compound managers and local authorities.
“The Cambodian government has carefully managed the optics of its scamming crackdown, but behind every headline about a compound raid or arrest are survivors of slavery, torture and rape left with almost no support,” Amnesty International’s Co-Regional Director Montse Ferrer said.
“This much-vaunted crime offensive has not done enough to end the suffering of those trapped inside scamming compounds. More than 70 percent of the compounds identified by Amnesty appear to have been bypassed by the crackdown,” Ferrer added.
Online fraud sites continue despite crackdown
Amnesty said Cambodia launched its largest nationwide campaign against online scams in July 2025, issuing a 9-point order that directed provincial officials, law enforcement agencies, courts and the national gambling commission to take action. The government later said it had shuttered more than 250 scam centers, opened criminal cases against 1,089 suspects and deported 13,039 foreign nationals involved in online scams.
However, Amnesty said its findings cast doubt on the impact of the campaign. The rights group also documented mass releases or escapes at seven additional compounds where no police presence was reported.
According to the report, interventions were frequently triggered by international pressure, public crises or widely reported incidents, rather than proactive monitoring. In some cases, compounds allegedly continued operating after police visits. In others, survivors told Amnesty that managers appeared to know about enforcement actions in advance and moved people to other locations before authorities arrived.
Julia Dickson, an associate fellow in the Intelligence, National Security and Technology program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Bloomberg that many of the crackdowns appeared “quite performative,” saying key people inside scam centers may have been alerted before raids.
“We have seen a lot of movement within Cambodia, perhaps shifting more from these big compounds in border zones to smaller compounds that are harder to track within urban areas or simply relocating elsewhere,” she said.
Casino links draw scrutiny
Amnesty’s report also pointed to links between some scam compounds and casino-related sites, an issue of relevance to the regional gaming industry.
According to the report, scamming compounds can range from a single building to larger enclosed sites and may also house businesses such as casinos, hotels or restaurants.
Amnesty said a previous investigation found that a dozen casinos linked to scam compounds had received state approval despite the ongoing crackdown. Its latest report identified four more casinos that had submitted plans showing they owned buildings that were scamming compounds.
The report said the government’s lack of detailed public information made it difficult to verify official claims about closures, arrests and outcomes. Amnesty said authorities had not made public a full list of investigated sites or evidence supporting claims that more than 250 scam centers had been shut down.
“The Cambodian government’s total lack of transparency makes it impossible to verify their claims and undermines trust in the entire process,” Ferrer said. “The unavoidable conclusion is that many of the people behind the most abusive compounds have not been brought to justice.”
Ferrer said Cambodia should investigate all compounds and related casinos, properly identify and assist victims of trafficking and other serious abuses, and address the failures that have prevented the crackdown from being successful.
