Arya News - The much-anticipated event brought together representatives from the FBI, INTERPOL and other international organisations to strengthen cooperation against increasingly sophisticated cross-border online fraud networks.
PHNOM PENH – Cambodia kicked off the International Conference on Combating Online Scams (ICCOS-2026) today in Phnom Penh. The much-anticipated event brings together representatives from the FBI, China, INTERPOL and other countries and international organisations to strengthen cooperation against increasingly sophisticated cross-border online fraud networks.
The two-day September 23-24 conference, held at the Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, is themed “Acting Together towards Breaking the Chain and Eradication of Online Scams”.
It will see government officials, law enforcement agencies, international organisations, financial institutions, technology companies and other stakeholders exchange experience and strengthen joint action against online scams.
The Cambodian government has used the conference to highlight its ongoing nationwide crackdown on technology-driven fraud, saying the campaign has produced significant results while stressing the need for stronger international cooperation to tackle criminal networks operating across borders.
Cambodia’s Commission for Combating Technology-enabled Scams (CCTC) reported that from July 2024 to August 2026, Cambodian authorities dismantled 86 scam compounds. Authorities have also shuttered 27 casinos linked to major online fraud networks.
The report said 446 cases involving 3,527 suspects from 29 nationalities are before the courts. Authorities also screened and facilitated the repatriation of about 22,000 foreigners from 38 nations.
In addition, they have seized about $300 million from bank accounts linked to the suppression campaign, while investigations into other assets and properties are ongoing.
The government has described online scams as a transnational criminal threat that requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society response. It established the CCTC to coordinate enforcement measures, strengthen cooperation among institutions and address weaknesses that allow scam operations to operate across borders.
The government noted that its strategy includes strengthening legal frameworks, tightening law enforcement, improving inter-agency cooperation, and expanding regional and international collaboration to prevent Cambodia from being used as a base for technology-driven fraud.
The crackdown is backed by the Law on Anti-Technology-Driven Fraud, enacted in April this year. This legislation outlines severe penalties for technology-driven fraud, including life imprisonment in serious cases, and targets not only ringleaders and their accomplices but also property owners and other parties who knowingly facilitate such criminal activities.
The government has said its campaign is aimed at dismantling criminal networks, protecting victims and strengthening Cambodia’s digital security while contributing to international efforts against online scams.
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