Cambodia faces fresh scrutiny over scam compounds despite crackdown
News Source
β’Thu, 15 Oct 2026 08:06:42 +0000
π° What Happened
Cambodia is facing new questions about its fight against online scam centres. An Al Jazeera investigation says a resort called Long Bay, in Koh Kong province, still hosted fraud and human trafficking.
The resort is owned by Chinese Cambodian businessman Deng Pibing. The report says officials linked to him helped protect the operations. Cambodia says Deng left the country in May and has asked Interpol for help finding him.
π The Backstory
Cambodia has promised for years to shut down scam compounds, where workers are often tricked or trafficked into cheating people online. At a conference in September, officials pointed to raids, arrests and thousands of rescued victims.
The government had pledged to clear the scams by April. Reports about Long Bay first appeared in February. The US put Cambodia in the lowest tier of its 2026 trafficking report.
π― Why It Matters
Scam centres drain savings from ordinary people worldwide, and the workers trapped inside them are victims too. Weak enforcement keeps both groups at risk.
Cambodia is facing new questions about its fight against online scam centres. An Al Jazeera investigation says a resort called Long Bay, in Koh Kong province, still hosted fraud and human trafficking.
The resort is owned by Chinese Cambodian businessman Deng Pibing. The report says officials linked to him helped protect the operations. Cambodia says Deng left the country in May and has asked Interpol for help finding him.
Cambodia has promised for years to shut down scam compounds, where workers are often tricked or trafficked into cheating people online. At a conference in September, officials pointed to raids, arrests and thousands of rescued victims.
The government had pledged to clear the scams by April. Reports about Long Bay first appeared in February. The US put Cambodia in the lowest tier of its 2026 trafficking report.
Scam centres drain savings from ordinary people worldwide, and the workers trapped inside them are victims too. Weak enforcement keeps both groups at risk.