Cambodian parliament passes landmark cybercrime law after scam centre scrutiny

## Summary
Advertisement Asia Cambodian parliament passes landmark cybercrime law after scam centre scrutiny Computers and workstations seized by police during an online scam crackdown at a hotel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Mar 11, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Roun Ry) 03 Apr 2026 07:20PM Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST PHNOM PENH: Cambodia's parliament on Friday (Apr 3) passed the first law dedicated to targeting scam centres accused of bilking international victims out of billions of dollars, as pressure mounts on governments to tackle the illicit businesses. Justice Minister Keut Rith said the law aimed to enhance the "cleaning operation" taking place across the country, as well as to ensure the centres do not return after the crackdown. “This law is strict like the fishing net, strict to ensure we don’t have the online scams anymore in Cambodia, strict in order to serve the interest of the Cambodian nation and people," he told reporters, adding the problem had also impacted the economy, tourism and investment. In January, Chinese-Cambodian businessman Chen Zhi was arrested in Cambodia and also extradited to China, marking a stunning fall for a young tycoon accused of running a brutal online scam and money laundering operation.

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Cambodian parliament passes landmark cybercrime law after scam centre scrutiny
Computers and workstations seized by police during an online scam crackdown at a hotel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Mar 11, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Roun Ry)
03 Apr 2026 07:20PM
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PHNOM PENH: Cambodia's parliament on Friday (Apr 3) passed the first law dedicated to targeting scam centres accused of bilking international victims out of billions of dollars, as pressure mounts on governments to tackle the illicit businesses.
Justice Minister Keut Rith said the law aimed to enhance the "cleaning operation" taking place across the country, as well as to ensure the centres do not return after the crackdown.
“This law is strict like the fishing net, strict to ensure we don’t have the online scams anymore in Cambodia, strict in order to serve the interest of the Cambodian nation and people," he told reporters, adding the problem had also impacted the economy, tourism and investment.
The new law will eventually go to Cambodia's king for final signature.
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It lays out punishments of two to five years in prison and fines of up to US$125,000 for those convicted of online scams.
Sentences for those convicted of scams conducted by gangs or against many victims can be up to 10 years in prison and as much as US$250,000 in fines. It also outlines penalties for those convicted of money laundering, gathering victims' data, or recruiting scammers.
Cambodia has not previously had legislation specifically targeting scams, though suspects have been charged with offences like recruitment for exploitation, aggravated fraud and money laundering.
The moves come after widespread condemnation from rights groups, and sanctions and indictments by governments around the world, with Cambodia among the countries accused of being hotbeds of cyber scams.
Related:
Commentary: Cambodia's scam centres aren't going away
Cambodia extradites accused cyberscam boss to China
On Thursday, Britain sanctioned the operators of what it described as the largest fraud complex in Cambodia and ​an online crypto marketplace used to trade stolen personal ‌data, part of what it called a ​fast-growing network of scam centres in Southeast Asia where workers are confined in guarded compounds and forced to commit ⁠online fraud.
The Cambodian government long played down the existence of scam compounds, and previous crackdowns have done little to stop their spread. Officials say the latest campaign is broader in scope, with a focus on closing hundreds of sites and detaining senior figures.
On Wednesday, Cambodia said it had
extradited Li Xiong
, a former leader at a Cambodian financial conglomerate accused of laundering money ​for crime organisations, to China.
In January, Chinese-Cambodian businessman
Chen Zhi
was arrested in Cambodia and also extradited to China, marking a stunning fall for a young tycoon accused of running a brutal online scam and money laundering operation.
Source: Reuters/fh
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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- Advertisement Asia Cambodian parliament passes landmark cybercrime law after scam centre scrutiny Computers and workstations seized by police during an online scam crackdown at a hotel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Mar 11, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Roun Ry) 03 Apr 2026 07:20PM Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results.

### Areas for Consideration
- Justice Minister Keut Rith said the law aimed to enhance the "cleaning operation" taking place across the country, as well as to ensure the centres do not return after the crackdown. “This law is strict like the fishing net, strict to ensure we don’t have the online scams anymore in Cambodia, strict in order to serve the interest of the Cambodian nation and people," he told reporters, adding the problem had also impacted the economy, tourism and investment.
- CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less It lays out punishments of two to five years in prison and fines of up to US$125,000 for those convicted of online scams.

### Implications
- The new law will eventually go to Cambodia's king for final signature.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers cambodia, scam, fast topics. Notable strengths include discussion of cambodia. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 696.