Hun Manet says Cambodia will not become a safe haven for online scam networks
Prime Minister Hun Manet has pledged that Cambodia will not become a safe haven for online scams as 27 countries and seven international organisations meet in Phnom Penh to strengthen cooperation against transnational cyberfraud.
- Hun Manet said Cambodia will not become a safe haven for online scam operations.
- Delegates from 27 countries and seven international organisations are meeting in Phnom Penh.
- Cambodia has also tightened controls on telecommunications equipment potentially used in online scams.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has declared that Cambodia will not become a safe haven for online scam operations, as Phnom Penh hosts a two-day international conference bringing together governments, law enforcement agencies and international organisations to discuss the growing transnational cyberfraud industry.
“Cambodia will never be a safe haven for online scams,” Mr Hun Manet said on Wednesday, 23 September, as he opened the International Conference on Combating Online Scams (ICCOS-2026) which is held at Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra Hotel.
The event has attracted delegates from 27 countries and seven international organisations, including representatives from China, the United States, INTERPOL and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Mr Hun Manet called for stronger international cooperation against transnational cybercrime, including the sharing of information in real time.
The conference is being held under the theme “Acting Together Towards Breaking the Chain and Eradication of Online Scams”, with a Phnom Penh Declaration expected to be adopted on Thursday.
Cambodia reports nationwide crackdown
Cambodian authorities have been conducting a nationwide campaign against online scam operations since 2025. The government has said the campaign has targeted criminal networks and compounds operating across the country.
On Wednesday, Cambodian officials said the country had been used as one of several locations where transnational criminal networks conduct scam activities.
Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Sokha said the growth of online scams was being driven partly by the ease of committing crimes using an internet connection and electronic devices, gaps between jurisdictions, low operating costs and the expansion of digital payments and cryptocurrencies.
The conference is intended to increase cooperation between countries as criminal networks operate across borders. ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn and senior officials from Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, the Philippines and other countries are among those participating in the conference.
Cambodia tightens controls on telecom equipment
Cambodia has also tightened controls on telecommunications equipment, banning the import, sale and distribution of second-hand and counterfeit devices including mobile phones, tablets, computers and walkie-talkies.
The Telecommunications Regulator of Cambodia (TRC) said on 22 September that many such products were being advertised and sold online without required certificates or import permits.
Businesses have been given 60 days to comply with the regulations and ensure that equipment comes from legitimate and certified sources.
The TRC said unauthorised or modified equipment could interfere with radio frequencies used by emergency services, aviation, navigation, national security and other critical services. It also cited risks including unsafe batteries, electrical faults, excessive heat, electromagnetic exposure and environmental problems associated with electronic waste.
The regulator also identified the potential use of unauthorised telecommunications equipment in technology-enabled online scams as one of the reasons for strengthening controls.
The announcement did not identify a particular criminal group or scam operation, but came as Cambodia intensifies its wider campaign against transnational scam networks.
International cooperation remains a focus
Cambodia says stronger cooperation is necessary because online scams increasingly cross national borders and involve multiple forms of organised crime.
The Cambodian government has said it wants the conference to strengthen cooperation between law enforcement agencies, financial institutions, technology companies and other stakeholders. UNODC and INTERPOL are among the international organisations involved in the conference.
The Phnom Penh Declaration is expected to set out a collective commitment to disrupting online scam networks and strengthening international cooperation when it is adopted on 24 September.
