Cambodia advances anti-scam law with up to 30-year prison terms

Draft legislation targeting telecom and online fraud introduces stricter penalties and liability for property owners and local officials as authorities move to close scam centres nationwide.

Cambodia.- The government of Cambodia has approved a draft law aimed at dismantling telecom and online fraud operations, introducing prison sentences of up to 30 years and new liability for individuals and officials linked to scam networks.

The legislation, approved during a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Hun Manet, will now be sent to parliament, where it is widely expected to pass. Authorities say the bill would create the country’s first comprehensive legal framework specifically targeting telecom fraud and transnational cyberscam operations.

Under the draft law, organisers of scam centres could face between five and 10 years in prison and fines of up to KHR1bn (US$246,000). Sentences could increase to 10 to 20 years if operations involve violence, human trafficking, forced labour or confinement, and up to 30 years or life imprisonment if the activities lead to deaths.

Officials said the legislation also expands liability beyond direct perpetrators. Property owners who rent premises to scam syndicates, recruiters who bring workers into fraud operations, and public officials who provide protection to such networks could face criminal prosecution.

The proposal also allows authorities to hold provincial leaders accountable if telecom fraud activities continue in their jurisdictions after enforcement efforts are reviewed.

The legislative push comes amid a broader crackdown on scam compounds nationwide. Senior minister Chhay Sinarith said authorities have investigated around 250 suspected sites since mid-2025 and have shut down roughly 200 of them, including 91 operating within casinos.

According to officials, hundreds of suspects have been charged, and about 10,000 foreign nationals have been repatriated from scam centres. Cambodia has also expanded cooperation with international partners as part of efforts to dismantle transnational fraud networks operating across Southeast Asia.

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Draft legislation targeting telecom and online fraud introduces stricter penalties and liability for property owners and local officials as authorities move to close scam centres nationwide. Cambodia.- The government of Cambodia has approved a draft law aimed at dismantling telecom and online fraud operations, introducing prison sentences of up to 30 years and new liability…