A senior U.S. prosecutor addressed questions on Cambodia’s role in cyber scam operations during a virtual press briefing on 24 April, while also responding to queries about alleged links between public officials and scam networks in the region.
Jeanine Ferris Pirro, United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, made the remarks during a briefing on U.S. enforcement actions targeting transnational cyber scam and forced-labour operations in Southeast Asia.
Responding to a question from Phnom Penh Post journalist Chheng Niem on the term “Scambodia” in relation to scam activity in Cambodia, Pirro said Cambodia remains “a source of focus”.
She added that public reporting suggests that 40 to 60 percent of Cambodia’s GDP is derived from scam revenue, while noting that Cambodian authorities have recently taken action against scam compounds. She said U.S. authorities are “waiting to see whether that will actually change the prevalence of scams in Cambodia.”
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The briefing also included a separate question from BBC journalist Sen Nguyen, who asked about allegations involving Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen and his son, Prime Minister Hun Manet, as well as possible links to scam centres, and whether U.S. intelligence had detected any related activity in Vietnam.
Pirro responded that U.S. authorities could not comment on any particular investigation.
“We do, however, take seriously allegations that public officials are involved in or profiting from scam centers,” she said. “The strike force is focused on targets organizing and leading these compounds regardless of their political connections.”
The briefing focused on U.S. efforts against cyber-enabled investment fraud, commonly known as “pig butchering” scams, where victims are lured through fake job offers or online schemes before being defrauded.
Pirro said U.S. authorities have charged individuals linked to scam compounds in Myanmar and carried out enforcement actions against recruitment networks allegedly operating in the region, including Cambodia.
She added that hundreds of websites had been taken down and more than US$700 million in cryptocurrency linked to victims had been restrained as part of ongoing investigations.
The remarks come amid increased international scrutiny of cyber scam operations in Southeast Asia, where trafficking-linked fraud networks have expanded in recent years.
