The Cambodian Parliament voted to approve a law combating online scam centers, increasing prison terms and fines up to several hundred thousand dollars, aiming to curb transnational fraud networks.
On 3 Apr 2026 GMT+7, Keat Rith, Cambodia's Minister of Justice, stated that the Parliament passed a law to combat online scam centers. This law aims to strengthen the crackdown on scammer networks nationwide and prevent their resurgence.
Minister Rith compared this law to a tight net ensuring that online scams no longer occur in Cambodia. He also pointed out that the problem has negatively affected the economy, tourism, and investment.
The law sets penalties of 2 to 5 years in prison and fines up to $125,000 (approximately 4.5 million baht) for general offenders. If committed as part of a syndicate or involving many victims, penalties can increase to up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $250,000 (about 9 million baht). Leaders involved in human trafficking, detention, or torture of victims may face up to 20 years in prison and fines up to $500,000 (about 18 million baht).
Additionally, the law covers offenses related to money laundering, collecting victim data, and recruiting individuals into scammer networks. After parliamentary approval, the law will be sent to the King of Cambodia for royal assent before becoming effective.
Currently, Cambodia does not have a specific law to address online scams and instead uses other laws such as those against fraud and money laundering to prosecute offenders.
Source: Freshnews