Online Scam Networks Engaged in Human Trafficking in Cambodia, Amnesty Reports

Amnesty International released a report on June 26, 2025, exposing the exploitation of human trafficking victims in Cambodia by online scam networks operating forced-labor camps. The global human rights organization interviewed 58 survivors — migrant workers who managed to escape what they described as “hellish” conditions.

Lured to Cambodia by promises of legitimate employment, these individuals found themselves imprisoned in large, heavily guarded compounds. There, under duress, they were forced to carry out financial scams online. Amnesty points to Chinese organized crime groups as being behind these cyber scam operations.

The organization identified 53 sites across Cambodia where migrant workers are believed to be trafficked into participating in online scams or illegal gambling. An additional 45 “suspicious” locations were found to share similar features. Amnesty has reported these sites to Cambodian authorities.

In its report, Amnesty harshly criticizes the Cambodian government’s failure to act, suggesting possible collusion between organized crime and law enforcement. Among the identified sites:

• One third have never been investigated;
• One third were investigated with no resulting action;
• One third saw police or military intervention — without ending the abuse.

Amnesty is calling for urgent international pressure on Phnom Penh to dismantle these operations and protect vulnerable migrants from exploitation.