(Phnom Penh, 8th) — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet issued a stern warning on Friday (March 6), stating that the government will take a series of measures to completely eradicate telecom network fraud crimes, including formulating specialized laws to pursue relevant responsibilities and launching nationwide crackdown operations.
According to the Khmer Times and Phnom Penh Post, Hun Manet said during the closing ceremony of the National Anti-Drug Authority’s annual meeting that the government is expediting the drafting of the 'Anti-Telecom Network Fraud Law', and will clarify related penalties. If landlords rent out their properties to unlawful groups engaged in telecom fraud activities, they must bear legal responsibility.
“Don’t say that you (the property owner) are 'unaware' of the activities conducted by your tenants; this cannot be used as an excuse.”
The new law will also stipulate that those who recruit personnel to engage in telecom scam activities, or those who work in scam dens, must also assume legal accountability.
The new law will also stipulate that those who recruit personnel to engage in telecom scam activities, or those who work in scam dens, must also assume legal accountability.
He emphasized that Cambodia welcomes investors and foreigners to invest, work, and live in the country, but absolutely does not welcome anyone using Cambodia as a base for telecom scam operations.
Hun Manet, speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Cambodia-ASEAN Business Summit in Phnom Penh on Wednesday (the 4th), expressed to international investors his firm stance on cracking down on telecom fraud. He declared that all telecom scam dens within the country must be eradicated by the end of April, in order to restore the nation's image and rebuild international investor confidence.
He warned on Friday that some people still harbor a fluke mentality, waiting to see whether the government will truly implement the crackdown; he stressed that the crackdown operations will continue until completed.
Hun Manet, speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Cambodia-ASEAN Business Summit in Phnom Penh on Wednesday (the 4th), expressed to international investors his firm stance on cracking down on telecom fraud. He declared that all telecom scam dens within the country must be eradicated by the end of April, in order to restore the nation's image and rebuild international investor confidence.
He warned on Friday that some people still harbor a fluke mentality, waiting to see whether the government will truly implement the crackdown; he stressed that the crackdown operations will continue until completed.
Hun Manet pointed out that telecom fraud constitutes a "black market economy", which not only severely damages Cambodia’s international image, but also affects the country’s normal economic development.
Regarding claims that the black market economy or online scams make up 60% of Cambodia’s GDP, he firmly denied it. He stated: “Income from the black market economy does not enter Cambodia’s (official) economic system. These proceeds may be used for renting houses, land purchases, or paying some drivers’ wages, but they do not become part of Cambodia's GDP.”
He called on all sectors of society to participate in anti-fraud efforts, "to clean up our homeland together", to draw a clear line against telecom scams, and emphasized that the crackdown must proceed according to law, led by Cambodia itself, that no other country can complete this task on behalf of Cambodia, nor should military means such as bombing or shelling be used.
Hun Manet was evidently criticizing Thailand, which had previously used combating telecom scams as a pretext to carry out bombings in Cambodia.
Cambodian law enforcement departments have been working in cooperation with the FBI, and law enforcement agencies from South Korea, China, and other countries.