Cambodia under global scrutiny as cyber scam empire emerges as key economic pillar

Cambodia has come under intense international scrutiny as what analysts describe as the epicentre of the world’s largest transnational crime network, dominated by cyber scams that have generated staggering profits, so vast that they now rival or even surpass the country’s legitimate industries.

Scam industry earns over 600 billion baht a year

Recent research by international security experts, including Jacob Sims of Humanity Research Consultancy, and organisations such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), paints a deeply troubling picture of Cambodia’s shadow economy.

According to their findings, cyber scam syndicates operating across Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar have defrauded victims worldwide of an estimated US$50–75 billion annually, equivalent to 1.6–2.4 trillion baht.

These so-called “scam farms”, often involving kidnapping and forced labour, have become a major economic driver, contributing between 40% and 60% of GDP in countries where large-scale criminal networks operate, including Cambodia.
 
Experts warn that the sheer scale of illicit profits has effectively turned cyber fraud into Cambodia’s most lucrative industry in history, eclipsing the country’s formal economic sectors.

Crime built on trafficking and torture

At the heart of this criminal ecosystem lies human trafficking, with criminal groups, many led by Chinese nationals, running extensive operations in Cambodia’s special economic zones.

Analysts estimate that more than 150,000 people from around the world have been lured by fake job offers, only to be detained, tortured, and forced to work in scam compounds, high-security buildings where victims are coerced into using their language and technical skills to defraud people across the globe.

Corruption and political complicity

Reports indicate that such vast criminal enterprises could not exist without systemic corruption and complicity among powerful political and business elites in Cambodia. These networks have allegedly provided protection and logistical support for the scam operations, allowing them to thrive with near impunity.

International observers now describe Cambodia as a “crime-enabling state”, warning that its entanglement with transnational syndicates poses a serious threat to global security.

Sources: Humanity Research Consultancy (Jacob Sims); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC); United States Institute of Peace (USIP).