AKP Phnom Penh, September 24, 2026 --

On Sept. 23, the International Conference on Combating Online Scams (ICCOS-2026) was held in Phnom Penh. Under the theme “Acting Together Towards Breaking the Chain and Eradication of Online Scams,” the conference was hosted by the Royal Government of Cambodia, with support from the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific (UNODC-ROSEAP), and the Lancang-Mekong Integrated Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation Centre (LMLECC).

The conference brought together representatives from 27 countries and seven international organisations, as well as more than 340 journalists from 69 local and international media organisations.

As Cambodia continues to intensify its efforts to combat online scams and strengthen law enforcement cooperation with the international community, relevant UN agencies, ASEAN, INTERPOL and governments of several countries have recently commended Cambodia’s actions and its efforts to promote international cooperation in addressing transnational online scams.

Ms. Delphine Schantz, UNODC Regional Representative, said the conference demonstrated Cambodia’s commitment to international cooperation and reflected a shared priority among countries and partners to develop more effective responses to online scams. She called for stronger international cooperation to address the rapidly evolving threat of online scams and cyber-enabled crime, stressing that no country can tackle the problem alone.

ASEAN Secretary-General H.E. Kao Kim Hourn commended the Royal Government of Cambodia for its all-out efforts and commitment to tackling and eradicating online scams, noting that Cambodia’s actions contribute to the safety, security, prosperity and well-being of ASEAN and the wider region. He called for a whole-of-government approach within ASEAN Member States and stronger regional and international cooperation, stressing that sustained national action must be complemented by broader collaboration to address cross-border online scams.

Mr. Nicholas Court, Director of INTERPOL’s Task Force Coordination Directorate, said Cambodia had made “significant efforts and progress” in combating technology-based fraud in recent months. He also underscored the importance of international cooperation, noting that Task Force Shadow Storm brings together investigators from member countries together to access and assess actionable intelligence and translate it into coordinated operations against fraud networks.

Chinese Vice Minister of Public Security H.E. Yang Weilin spoke highly of Cambodia’s efforts to combat online scams, saying that strengthened legislation, stringent law enforcement and enhanced international cooperation had led to the dismantling of large-scale scam operations and the arrest and repatriation of tens of thousands of suspects. He said these achievements had received broad recognition from the international community. H.E. Yang also highlighted the close law enforcement cooperation between Chinese and Cambodian police and called on countries to avoid politicising efforts to combat transnational crime or turning them into a source of geopolitical confrontation.

According to information released by Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior on Sept. 22, the FBI provided details of information on 50 suspected scam locations across seven provinces, prompting Cambodian authorities to take action at all 50 sites. The FBI also commended Cambodia’s commitment to combating and eradicating online scams, highlighting the openness, transparency and accountability demonstrated in bilateral cooperation.

According to data released by the Ad-Hoc Cambodian Commission for Combating Online Scams (CCOS), Cambodian authorities inspected 832 suspected scam locations and took action against 663 of them, including 86 major scam compounds, between July 2025 and Aug. 31, 2026. More than US$300 million held in bank accounts linked to online scam crimes was frozen, while 446 cases involving 3,927 suspects were referred to court.

At the same time, participants emphasised that online scams are inherently transnational and require stronger efforts to trace illicit proceeds, dismantle criminal networks, protect victims and enhance cross-border law enforcement cooperation. They stressed that the fight against online scams should remain grounded in facts and law enforcement cooperation, while avoiding politicisation and geopolitical confrontation, and promoting greater information sharing and international collaboration to address the transnational threat.

The ICCOS-2026 conference thus underscored Cambodia’s efforts to expand its anti-scam campaign from domestic enforcement to broader international cooperation.

By Freya Song, Special Correspondent for AKP