LightNews — News, ranked by scholars

Cambodia to target scam 'masterminds' as critics question crackdown's effectiveness

September 28, 2026 at 7:58 AM

Lee Rosenberg 🇺🇦

@leerosenberg.bsky.social

“Cambodia and other Southeast Asian nations emerged after the pandemic as hubs for industrial-sized scamcentres where workers are trafficked, detained in grim conditions and forced to defraud strangers online. The US said scam compounds in the region stole $10 billion from Americans alone in 2024”

Reuters @reuters.com · 7d

Cambodia to target scam 'masterminds' as critics question crackdown's effectiveness reut.rs/4hklsMU

Cambodia is gathering evidence against suspected "masterminds" of massive cyber fraud operations, the country's anti-scam minister said, ‌amid criticism that the government's crackdown has failed to reach those ultimately responsible.

reut.rs

September 25, 2026 at 5:38 AM

Ryan Winch

@winchry.bsky.social

Big news for the counter cyber-scam centre effort today, with a warrant issued for Kok An in #Thailand

#Cambodia #ScamCentres #OrganizedCrime
www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/gen...

Arrest warrant out for Cambodian casino owner

The Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Cambodian property owner Kok An, accused of backing scam centres in Poipet.

www.bangkokpost.com

July 8, 2025 at 1:34 PM

Bangkok Tribune

@bangkoktribune.bsky.social

Amnesty accuses Cambodian government of allowing slavery and torture to flourish inside scamming compounds

Read@👉👉👉 bkktribune.com/amnesty-accu...

#HumanRightsAbuses #ScamCentres #Cambodia #StateComplicity

#BangkokTribune

Amnesty accuses Cambodian government of allowing slavery and torture to flourish inside scamming compounds | Bangkok Tribune

FacebookTweetLinkedInPin Visiting more than 50 scamming compounds in an 18-month-long research, Amnesty International (AI) said

bkktribune.com

June 27, 2025 at 9:30 AM

Reganelite News 💙

@reganelite1.bsky.social

Cambodia to keep up crackdown on scam centres after arrest of alleged mastermind! #news #worldnews #cambodia #scam #china #scammers #asia #asianews #scamcentres

January 14, 2026 at 3:19 PM

Reganelite News 💙

@reganelite1.bsky.social

Over 1,000 enter Thailand from Myanmar after scam hub raid! #news #worldnews #thailand #myanmar #asia #scammers #scamcentres #thailandnews #myanmarnews

October 24, 2025 at 8:47 AM

Aegisint

@aegisint.bsky.social

China mafia crime family members sentenced to death over multiple criminal enterprises including scam centres in Myanmar

www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

#china #scam #scamcentres #pigbutchering #organisedcrime #crime #mafia #myanmar #cyberscams #crypto #cryptoscams #fraud #casinos #telecom #drugs #prostitution #gambling #financialcrime #embezzlement… ...

Signaling Beijing’s campaign against organized crime, Chinese authorities have handed death sentences to 11 members of the so-called “Ming Mafia family”, according to the BBC. The Ming family, descr...

www.linkedin.com

October 1, 2025 at 1:04 AM

Sight Magazine

@sightmagazine.bsky.social

Cambodian parliament passes landmark cybercrime law after scam centre scrutiny @sightmagazine.bsky.social #Cambodia #cybercrime #scamcentres #cyberscams #KeutRith

sightmagazine.com.au/news/cambodi...

Cambodian parliament passes landmark cybercrime law after scam centre scrutiny - Sight Magazine

Cambodia's parliament passed the first law dedicated to targeting scam centres accused of bilking victims out of billions of dollars.

Essay: Huge online scam operations are flourishing in war-torn Myanmar - I travelled there to find out why - Sight Magazine

April 4, 2026 at 5:01 AM

Sight Magazine

@sightmagazine.bsky.social

Essay: Huge online scam operations are flourishing in war-torn Myanmar – I travelled there to find out why. @sightmagazine.bsky.social #Myanmar #scamcentres #China #Thailand #Myanmarscamcentres #ShweKokko

sightmagazine.com.au/essays/essay...

Researcher XU PENG explores why countries like Myanmar have become a hotspot for scam centre activity...

Myanmar detains 270 foreigners from scam compounds on Thai border - Sight Magazine

December 31, 2025 at 1:33 AM

Sight Magazine

@sightmagazine.bsky.social

Myanmar detains 270 foreigners from scam compounds on Thai border @sightmagazine.bsky.social #Myanmar #Thailand #scamcentres

sightmagazine.com.au/news/myanmar...

Myanmar authorities detained 273 foreigners from scam compounds along the border with Thailand as a Chinese official visited frontier towns.

Thailand cuts power, fuel and internet supply to parts of Myanmar - Sight Magazine

February 18, 2025 at 7:01 AM

Sight Magazine

@sightmagazine.bsky.social

Thailand cuts power, fuel and internet supply to parts of Myanmar @sightmagazine.bsky.social #Thailand #Myanmar #scamcentres

sightmagazine.com.au/news/thailan...

Thailand has cut electricity, internet and fuel supplies to five border areas in Myanmar, a senior Thai minister said on Wednesday.

February 6, 2025 at 1:48 AM

Joseph Lim :mastodon:

@joseph11lim.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy

#china’s Foreign Minister #wangyi calls for complete #eradication of #cambodia #scamcentres
👉"CAM hosts dozens of #scam ctrs w tens of thousands of people perpetrating #online scams in a multibillion-$ illicit industry.. But under pressure fr several countries, incl'g PRC, Cambodian authorities […]

April 25, 2026 at 4:56 AM

Joseph Lim :mastodon:

@joseph11lim.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy

Not everyone in #cambodia #scamcentres is an angel: #southkorea missionary
🧐""Rarely did youths come w a good heart to be good to their parents" Ok Hae-shil, missionary in CAM for 14yrs who helped some 🇰🇷ns ret home fr #scam compounds told Reuters. "Most... just wanted to make money think'g […]

October 18, 2025 at 12:08 AM

Joseph Lim :mastodon:

@joseph11lim.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy

#myanmar #scamcentres booming despite crackdown, using Musk’s Starlink
🧐"an #afp #investigation has found. New buildings hv been springing up around #myawaddy on #Thailand-Myanmar border, festooned w dishes for #Musk’s #starlink.. Starlink has gone fr nowhere at the time of crackdown in Feb to […]

October 14, 2025 at 2:50 AM

Joseph Lim :mastodon:

@joseph11lim.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy

#southkorea summons Cambodian envoy over job #scams targeting nationals
"# of reported kidnappings of Sth Koreans in #cambodia – prev'ly aver'g 10-20 cases/year – surged to 220 in 2024 & 330 as of Aug 2025.. Per #amnestyinternational, abuses in Cambodia’s #scamcentres r happening on a “mass […]