“Deceived, trafficked and enslaved, the survivors of these scamming compounds describe being trapped in a living nightmare – enlisted in criminal enterprises that are operating with the apparent consent of the Cambodian government,” Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard said. The government of Cambodia’s response to the human rights crisis within the online scamming industry has been “grossly inadequate,” Amnesty International said Thursday, with more than 50 compounds continuing to operate in the country despite purported crackdowns. The international rights watchdog released the results of a nearly two-year study involving interviews with 58 survivors of Cambodia’s scamming compounds and a review of testimony from 365 others trafficked into the industry. Such enforcement efforts are being stunted, Amnesty International said, by the fact that the authorities often only rescue specific victims who contact the police or other outside organizations without freeing others who are trapped in a facility. Amnesty International researchers found 53 compounds in Cambodia where they believe “online scamming or gambling is likely occurring” alongside the trafficking of migrant workers. The survivors described their experiences of being lured to Cambodia with promises of a job opportunity, only to find themselves trapped in hulking prison-like compounds encircled by razor wire and often with guards carrying electric batons to keep workers in line. In a letter to Amnesty International, Cambodia’s National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking said from 2024 through early 2025, authorities had received more than 3,500 requests for intervention from “foreigners” involving 6,584 individuals. “In some cases, this meant survivors were given training and a script to directly undertake scamming,” Amnesty International wrote. The organization also identified 45 other “suspicious” locations with security features similar to known scamming compounds, like barbed-wire fencing, security cameras and the presence of guards. Survivors told researchers stories that suggested possible collusion between the criminals and police, like being moved to a different facility just before a raid was to take place.
This Cyber News was published on therecord.media. Publication date: Thu, 26 Jun 2025 20:00:17 +0000