THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

World Freed from Cambodia's scam compounds, trafficking victims face a new crisis NPR | By Shibani Mahtani Published June 21, 2026 at 5:00 AM CDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 31:39 Glenn Harvey for NPR PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — All over this Southeast Asian city are vestiges of the multibillion-dollar online scam industry, which thrived here for more than half a decade until a recent government crackdown. There are luxurious high-rise towers overlooking the Mekong River, where entire floors are now deserted following police raids that cleared out the illicit operations hidden there. Disintegrating cardboard boxes and bits of Styrofoam litter the entrance of a branch of Prince Supermarket, after its parent company—the massive Cambodian conglomerate Prince Holding Group—was slapped with U.S. sanctions for allegedly running industrial-scale scam compounds. But the crackdown has created a secondary crisis: thousands of stranded foreign workers transported to Cambodia by the online scam operators and forced to work as hostage employees are now roaming the streets of Phnom Penh, after being freed when the scam operations closed. NGOs, including Amnesty Inter…

Cambodia scam centres still operating despite crackdowns, says Amnesty PHNOM PENH — Dozens of suspected global scam compounds in Cambodia are still in operation despite a months-long crackdown by authorities, Amnesty International said in a report on Monday. Of 86 sites identified as scam centres, the government had intervened at only 24 locations, the UK-based human rights group said in the 176-page report.

World Freed from Cambodia's scam compounds, trafficking victims face a new crisis NPR | By Shibani Mahtani Published June 21, 2026 at 5:00 AM CDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 31:39 Glenn Harvey for NPR PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — All over this Southeast Asian city are vestiges of the multibillion-dollar online scam industry, which thrived here for more than half a decade until a recent government crackdown. There are luxurious high-rise towers overlooking the Mekong River, where entire floors are now deserted following police raids that cleared out the illicit operations hidden there. Disintegrating cardboard boxes and bits of Styrofoam litter the entrance of a branch of Prince Supermarket, after its parent company—the massive Cambodian conglomerate Prince Holding Group—was slapped with U.S. sanctions for allegedly running industrial-scale scam compounds. But the crackdown has created a secondary crisis: thousands of stranded foreign workers transported to Cambodia by the online scam operators and forced to work as hostage employees are now roaming the streets of Phnom Penh, after being freed when the scam operations closed. NGOs, including Amnesty Inter…

Raids, stranded victims and new criminal tactics - inside Cambodia’s fight against scam centres Cambodia says it is carrying out its toughest crackdown yet on online scam centres, with hundreds of facilities targeted. In the first of a two-part series, CNA goes on the ground to find victims stranded and signs of operations shifting into smaller urban sites, while experts warn that the criminal networks behind the industry remain deeply embedded.

Freed from Cambodia's scam compounds, trafficking victims face a new crisis Cambodia's crackdown on scam centers has created a secondary crisis: thousands of stranded foreign workers are now roaming the streets of Phnom Penh.

World Freed from Cambodia's scam compounds, trafficking victims face a new crisis NPR | By Shibani Mahtani Published June 21, 2026 at 5:00 AM CDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 31:39 Glenn Harvey for NPR PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — All over this Southeast Asian city are vestiges of the multibillion-dollar online scam industry, which thrived here for more than half a decade until a recent government crackdown. There are luxurious high-rise towers overlooking the Mekong River, where entire floors are now deserted following police raids that cleared out the illicit operations hidden there. Disintegrating cardboard boxes and bits of Styrofoam litter the entrance of a branch of Prince Supermarket, after its parent company—the massive Cambodian conglomerate Prince Holding Group—was slapped with U.S. sanctions for allegedly running industrial-scale scam compounds. But the crackdown has created a secondary crisis: thousands of stranded foreign workers transported to Cambodia by the online scam operators and forced to work as hostage employees are now roaming the streets of Phnom Penh, after being freed when the scam operations closed. NGOs, including Amnesty Inter…

World Freed from Cambodia's scam compounds, trafficking victims face a new crisis NPR | By Shibani Mahtani Published June 21, 2026 at 5:00 AM CDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 31:39 Glenn Harvey for NPR PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — All over this Southeast Asian city are vestiges of the multibillion-dollar online scam industry, which thrived here for more than half a decade until a recent government crackdown. There are luxurious high-rise towers overlooking the Mekong River, where entire floors are now deserted following police raids that cleared out the illicit operations hidden there. Disintegrating cardboard boxes and bits of Styrofoam litter the entrance of a branch of Prince Supermarket, after its parent company—the massive Cambodian conglomerate Prince Holding Group—was slapped with U.S. sanctions for allegedly running industrial-scale scam compounds. But the crackdown has created a secondary crisis: thousands of stranded foreign workers transported to Cambodia by the online scam operators and forced to work as hostage employees are now roaming the streets of Phnom Penh, after being freed when the scam operations closed. NGOs, including Amnesty Inter…

World Freed from Cambodia's scam compounds, trafficking victims face a new crisis NPR | By Shibani Mahtani Published June 21, 2026 at 5:00 AM CDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 31:39 Glenn Harvey for NPR PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — All over this Southeast Asian city are vestiges of the multibillion-dollar online scam industry, which thrived here for more than half a decade until a recent government crackdown. There are luxurious high-rise towers overlooking the Mekong River, where entire floors are now deserted following police raids that cleared out the illicit operations hidden there. Disintegrating cardboard boxes and bits of Styrofoam litter the entrance of a branch of Prince Supermarket, after its parent company—the massive Cambodian conglomerate Prince Holding Group—was slapped with U.S. sanctions for allegedly running industrial-scale scam compounds. But the crackdown has created a secondary crisis: thousands of stranded foreign workers transported to Cambodia by the online scam operators and forced to work as hostage employees are now roaming the streets of Phnom Penh, after being freed when the scam operations closed. NGOs, including Amnesty Inter…

World Freed from Cambodia's scam compounds, trafficking victims face a new crisis NPR | By Shibani Mahtani Published June 21, 2026 at 5:00 AM CDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 31:39 Glenn Harvey for NPR PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — All over this Southeast Asian city are vestiges of the multibillion-dollar online scam industry, which thrived here for more than half a decade until a recent government crackdown. There are luxurious high-rise towers overlooking the Mekong River, where entire floors are now deserted following police raids that cleared out the illicit operations hidden there. Disintegrating cardboard boxes and bits of Styrofoam litter the entrance of a branch of Prince Supermarket, after its parent company—the massive Cambodian conglomerate Prince Holding Group—was slapped with U.S. sanctions for allegedly running industrial-scale scam compounds. But the crackdown has created a secondary crisis: thousands of stranded foreign workers transported to Cambodia by the online scam operators and forced to work as hostage employees are now roaming the streets of Phnom Penh, after being freed when the scam operations closed. NGOs, including Amnesty Inter…

Two-thirds of scam compounds 'bypassed' in Cambodia's crackdown, Amnesty finds A report by Amnesty International casts doubt on the impact of Cambodia's high-profile scam industry crackdown, finding authorities failed to dismantle the "vast majority" of operations.

Cyber scam hubs across Southeast Asia fuelled by human trafficking: APG report Government says 6,998 Indians have been rescued from cyber scam hubs since 2022—2,533 from Cambodia, 2,297 from Lao PDR, and 2,168 from Myanmar

Cambodia scam centres still operating despite crackdowns ... - Bangkok Post World Cambodia scam centres still operating despite crackdowns, says Amnesty Rights ​group says collusion between ⁠compound managers and police ⁠undermined interventions PUBLISHED : 8 Jun 2026 at 19:28 WRITER: Reuters Small Medium Large Computers and workstations seized by police during an online scam crackdown at a hotel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on March 11, 2026. (Photo: Reuters) PHNOM PENH — Dozens of suspected global scam compounds in Cambodia are still in operation despite a months-long crackdown by authorities, Amnesty International said in a report on Monday. Of 86 sites identified as scam centres, the government had intervened at only 24 locations, the UK-based human rights group said in the 176-page report. "Many of those (interventions) were ​often reactive, ineffective or undermined by ⁠apparent collusion between compound managers and police, with survivors reporting being moved across the country mid-crackdown to evade authorities," the report said. The government in Phnom Penh rejected Amnesty's findings. "Cambodia does not accept the implication that it is failing to act against online scam o…

World Freed from Cambodia's scam compounds, trafficking victims face a new crisis NPR | By Shibani Mahtani Published June 21, 2026 at 5:00 AM CDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 31:39 Glenn Harvey for NPR PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — All over this Southeast Asian city are vestiges of the multibillion-dollar online scam industry, which thrived here for more than half a decade until a recent government crackdown. There are luxurious high-rise towers overlooking the Mekong River, where entire floors are now deserted following police raids that cleared out the illicit operations hidden there. Disintegrating cardboard boxes and bits of Styrofoam litter the entrance of a branch of Prince Supermarket, after its parent company—the massive Cambodian conglomerate Prince Holding Group—was slapped with U.S. sanctions for allegedly running industrial-scale scam compounds. But the crackdown has created a secondary crisis: thousands of stranded foreign workers transported to Cambodia by the online scam operators and forced to work as hostage employees are now roaming the streets of Phnom Penh, after being freed when the scam operations closed. NGOs, including Amnesty Inter…

World Freed from Cambodia's scam compounds, trafficking victims face a new crisis NPR | By Shibani Mahtani Published June 21, 2026 at 5:00 AM CDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 31:39 Glenn Harvey for NPR PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — All over this Southeast Asian city are vestiges of the multibillion-dollar online scam industry, which thrived here for more than half a decade until a recent government crackdown. There are luxurious high-rise towers overlooking the Mekong River, where entire floors are now deserted following police raids that cleared out the illicit operations hidden there. Disintegrating cardboard boxes and bits of Styrofoam litter the entrance of a branch of Prince Supermarket, after its parent company—the massive Cambodian conglomerate Prince Holding Group—was slapped with U.S. sanctions for allegedly running industrial-scale scam compounds. But the crackdown has created a secondary crisis: thousands of stranded foreign workers transported to Cambodia by the online scam operators and forced to work as hostage employees are now roaming the streets of Phnom Penh, after being freed when the scam operations closed. NGOs, including Amnesty Inter…

World Freed from Cambodia's scam compounds, trafficking victims face a new crisis NPR | By Shibani Mahtani Published June 21, 2026 at 5:00 AM CDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 31:39 Glenn Harvey for NPR PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — All over this Southeast Asian city are vestiges of the multibillion-dollar online scam industry, which thrived here for more than half a decade until a recent government crackdown. There are luxurious high-rise towers overlooking the Mekong River, where entire floors are now deserted following police raids that cleared out the illicit operations hidden there. Disintegrating cardboard boxes and bits of Styrofoam litter the entrance of a branch of Prince Supermarket, after its parent company—the massive Cambodian conglomerate Prince Holding Group—was slapped with U.S. sanctions for allegedly running industrial-scale scam compounds. But the crackdown has created a secondary crisis: thousands of stranded foreign workers transported to Cambodia by the online scam operators and forced to work as hostage employees are now roaming the streets of Phnom Penh, after being freed when the scam operations closed. NGOs, including Amnesty Inter…

World Freed from Cambodia's scam compounds, trafficking victims face a new crisis NPR | By Shibani Mahtani Published June 21, 2026 at 5:00 AM CDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 31:39 Glenn Harvey for NPR PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — All over this Southeast Asian city are vestiges of the multibillion-dollar online scam industry, which thrived here for more than half a decade until a recent government crackdown. There are luxurious high-rise towers overlooking the Mekong River, where entire floors are now deserted following police raids that cleared out the illicit operations hidden there. Disintegrating cardboard boxes and bits of Styrofoam litter the entrance of a branch of Prince Supermarket, after its parent company—the massive Cambodian conglomerate Prince Holding Group—was slapped with U.S. sanctions for allegedly running industrial-scale scam compounds. But the crackdown has created a secondary crisis: thousands of stranded foreign workers transported to Cambodia by the online scam operators and forced to work as hostage employees are now roaming the streets of Phnom Penh, after being freed when the scam operations closed. NGOs, including Amnesty Inter…

World Freed from Cambodia's scam compounds, trafficking victims face a new crisis NPR | By Shibani Mahtani Published June 21, 2026 at 5:00 AM CDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 31:39 Glenn Harvey for NPR PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — All over this Southeast Asian city are vestiges of the multibillion-dollar online scam industry, which thrived here for more than half a decade until a recent government crackdown. There are luxurious high-rise towers overlooking the Mekong River, where entire floors are now deserted following police raids that cleared out the illicit operations hidden there. Disintegrating cardboard boxes and bits of Styrofoam litter the entrance of a branch of Prince Supermarket, after its parent company—the massive Cambodian conglomerate Prince Holding Group—was slapped with U.S. sanctions for allegedly running industrial-scale scam compounds. But the crackdown has created a secondary crisis: thousands of stranded foreign workers transported to Cambodia by the online scam operators and forced to work as hostage employees are now roaming the streets of Phnom Penh, after being freed when the scam operations closed. NGOs, including Amnesty Inter…

Cambodia: Evidence suggests scamming compounds bypassed despite high ... Amnesty research contradicts state narrative on mass scamming crackdown Collusion between police and gangs help compounds avoid raids 73 survivors interviewed; none screened or recognized as victims of trafficking The Cambodian government’s high-profile crackdown on scamming compounds has failed to dismantle the vast majority of sites in the country or protect and support thousands of people subjected to human trafficking, torture and slavery, Amnesty International said in a new report released today. Falling Through the Cracks: Cambodia’s “Crackdown” on Scamming Compounds documents how authorities have largely failed to identify trafficking victims or hold perpetrators to account. Amnesty’s research reveals how several compounds are moving location to escape the crackdown and details multiple accounts of rape inside compounds. “The Cambodian government has carefully managed the optics of its scamming crackdown, but behind every headline about a compound raid or arrest are survivors of slavery, torture and rape left with almost no support,” Amnesty International’s Co-Regional Director Montse Ferrer said. “Thi…

World Freed from Cambodia's scam compounds, trafficking victims face a new crisis NPR | By Shibani Mahtani Published June 21, 2026 at 5:00 AM CDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 31:39 Glenn Harvey for NPR PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — All over this Southeast Asian city are vestiges of the multibillion-dollar online scam industry, which thrived here for more than half a decade until a recent government crackdown. There are luxurious high-rise towers overlooking the Mekong River, where entire floors are now deserted following police raids that cleared out the illicit operations hidden there. Disintegrating cardboard boxes and bits of Styrofoam litter the entrance of a branch of Prince Supermarket, after its parent company—the massive Cambodian conglomerate Prince Holding Group—was slapped with U.S. sanctions for allegedly running industrial-scale scam compounds. But the crackdown has created a secondary crisis: thousands of stranded foreign workers transported to Cambodia by the online scam operators and forced to work as hostage employees are now roaming the streets of Phnom Penh, after being freed when the scam operations closed. NGOs, including Amnesty Inter…

Cambodia scam centres increase despite crackdown: report Cambodia scam centres increase despite crackdown: report The findings show 86 scam compounds operating across Cambodia as of April, up from 53 a year earlier Summarise Share Add BT as a preferred source Add BT as a preferred source Published Mon, Jun 8, 2026 · 09:32 AM Computers and workstations seized by police during an online scam crackdown at a hotel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Mar 11. PHOTO: REUTERS [LONDON] Cambodia has failed to dismantle much of its online scam industry despite a yearlong crackdown that authorities said would eliminate it, according to an Amnesty International report that challenges official claims of success. The London-based rights group said it identified 86 scam compounds operating across Cambodia as of April, up from 53 a year earlier, and found evidence of state intervention at only 24 sites during the government’s campaign. That contrasts with official statements that authorities had taken action against more than 250 scam centres nationwide. The findings cast doubt on government assertions that the industry had been significantly weakened. Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith told Bloomberg in Febr…

Cambodia’s ‘performative’ crackdowns fail to stop scam centres: Amnesty Cambodia has failed to dismantle much of its online scam industry despite a year-long crackdown that authorities said would eliminate it, according to an Amnesty International report that challenges official claims of success. The London-based rights group said it identified 86 scam compounds operating across Cambodia as of April, up from 53 a year earlier, and found evidence of state intervention at only 24 sites during the government’s campaign. That contrasts with official statements that...

Cambodia's crackdown on scam centres leaves trail of stranded victims ... Recent Searches Trending Topics CNA Explains China artificial intelligence Indonesia Malaysia podcasts Wellness Thailand Japan Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try. Recent Searches Trending Topics CNA Explains China artificial intelligence Indonesia Malaysia podcasts Wellness Thailand Japan Advertisement Advertisement Asia Cambodia says it is carrying out its toughest crackdown yet on online scam centres, with hundreds of facilities targeted. In the first of a two-part series, CNA goes on the ground to find victims stranded and signs of operations shifting into smaller urban sites, while experts warn that the criminal networks behind the industry remain deeply embedded. A man rides past an array of advertising for illegal online gambling sites in Bavet, Cambodia, in May 2026. (Photo: CNA/Fadza Ishak) Jack Board 01 Jun 2026 06:00AM (Updated: 02 Jun 2026 09:30AM) 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. Read a …

African scam victims left homeless in Cambodia amid crackdown Hundreds of trafficking survivors from Africa are left stranded in Cambodia amid a widespread crackdown on the country's scam compounds.

World Freed from Cambodia's scam compounds, trafficking victims face a new crisis NPR | By Shibani Mahtani Published June 21, 2026 at 5:00 AM CDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 31:39 Glenn Harvey for NPR PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — All over this Southeast Asian city are vestiges of the multibillion-dollar online scam industry, which thrived here for more than half a decade until a recent government crackdown. There are luxurious high-rise towers overlooking the Mekong River, where entire floors are now deserted following police raids that cleared out the illicit operations hidden there. Disintegrating cardboard boxes and bits of Styrofoam litter the entrance of a branch of Prince Supermarket, after its parent company—the massive Cambodian conglomerate Prince Holding Group—was slapped with U.S. sanctions for allegedly running industrial-scale scam compounds. But the crackdown has created a secondary crisis: thousands of stranded foreign workers transported to Cambodia by the online scam operators and forced to work as hostage employees are now roaming the streets of Phnom Penh, after being freed when the scam operations closed. NGOs, including Amnesty Inter…

Scam Compound Raids In Cambodia Leave Trafficking Survivors Stranded Innovation Science Scam Compound Raids In Cambodia Leave Trafficking Survivors Stranded By Christine Ro , Contributor. Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Christine Ro is a journalist covering science and development. Follow Author Mar 01, 2026, 06:20am EST --:-- / --:-- This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . Workers walk out of a suspected scam center compound in Sihanoukville, Cambodia on January 15, 2026. (Photo by Tang Chhin Sothy) AFP via Getty Images Extraordinary scenes have been unfolding in Phnom Penh in recent months. Crackdowns on notorious scam centers —sites where workers are paid and/or coerced into scamming people in wealthy countries—have led to the release or escape of thousands of workers. There are more questions than answers about what will happen to them. People who were tricked or trafficked into Cambodian scam compounds may lack work permission, given the shadowy natu r e of these crimes. Visa overstay fines of $10/day have compounded into the thousands of dollars, and many people cannot…