Cambodia Online Scams Declaration Sets Out 11 Key Commitments

Cambodia online scams declaration efforts have entered a new international phase after participating governments and international organisations adopted the Phnom Penh Declaration on Acting Together Towards Breaking the Chain and Eradication of Online Scams.

The declaration was adopted on September 24 at the conclusion of the International Conference on Combating Online Scams, or ICCOS-2026, in Phnom Penh. Delegates from 28 countries and seven international organisations backed the document, which establishes 11 commitments aimed at strengthening cooperation against online scams and related transnational crimes.

The agreement comes as online scams become increasingly sophisticated and international. Criminal groups are using digital platforms, cryptocurrencies, artificial intelligence and other technologies to operate across borders, making traditional law-enforcement approaches more difficult.

For Cambodia, the declaration also represents a broader effort to demonstrate that its crackdown on scam operations will depend not only on domestic enforcement but also on international coordination.

What Is the Cambodia Online Scams Declaration?

The Cambodia online scams declaration is the outcome document of ICCOS-2026, a major international conference held in Phnom Penh from September 23 to 24.

The conference brought together government officials, law-enforcement agencies, international organisations, financial institutions, technology companies, cybersecurity specialists, academics and other stakeholders.

Its central message was that online scams are no longer simply individual cases of internet fraud. They have evolved into complex criminal enterprises that can involve money laundering, human trafficking, financial crime and the misuse of emerging technology.

The official conference platform described online scams as a complex transnational challenge that cannot be effectively addressed by one country acting alone.

That principle is reflected throughout the declaration.

Rather than focusing exclusively on individual scammers, the agreement seeks to disrupt the wider criminal ecosystem supporting online fraud.

11 Commitments at the Heart of the Declaration

The Phnom Penh Declaration establishes 11 major areas of action.

1. Strengthen International Cooperation

The first commitment calls for stronger cooperation between countries and international organisations.

Online scam groups frequently operate across multiple jurisdictions. A criminal network may recruit workers in one country, operate digital infrastructure in another, move money through several financial systems and target victims around the world.

That makes international communication and coordinated investigations increasingly important.

The declaration therefore promotes closer cooperation at national, regional and international levels.

2. Break the Criminal Chain

The declaration also aims to break the criminal chain behind online scams.

Authorities are increasingly looking beyond individual operators to identify organisers, recruiters, financiers, facilitators and other participants.

This approach is important because arresting low-level workers may not permanently disrupt a network if its leadership, financial infrastructure and recruitment systems remain intact.

Breaking the chain means targeting the broader structure that allows scam operations to survive.

3. Disrupt and Recover Criminal Proceeds

Money is a major driver of organised online fraud.

The declaration calls for stronger efforts to investigate, disrupt and recover criminal proceeds. Financial investigations can help authorities identify where stolen money goes and who ultimately controls it.

Recovering criminal assets can also reduce the financial capacity of organised groups to establish new operations.

The declaration specifically highlights financial investigations, intelligence sharing and cooperation between jurisdictions as important tools.

4. Use Technology Against Technology

Online criminals increasingly exploit new technologies, including artificial intelligence.

The declaration therefore calls for technological innovation to become part of the international response.

This could include improved systems for detecting suspicious activity, identifying fraudulent communications, tracing digital transactions and sharing information between relevant authorities.

The challenge is significant because criminal networks can also rapidly adapt their tactics when authorities develop new detection methods.

AI Raises a New Challenge

The increasing use of AI could make online scams more convincing.

Criminals can potentially use sophisticated digital tools to create realistic messages, impersonate individuals, automate communications or target victims more efficiently.

The Phnom Penh conference recognised that scam networks are adapting by becoming smaller and more decentralised while exploiting emerging technologies. Officials stressed that simply shutting down individual operations may not be enough to prevent networks from returning.

That means future anti-scam strategies will likely require continuous technological adaptation.

5. Strengthen Laws and Regulations

The fifth commitment focuses on policy, legal and regulatory frameworks.

Online scams can exploit differences between national laws and jurisdictional gaps. A criminal operation may take advantage of weaknesses in one country while targeting victims elsewhere.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Sokha previously identified legal loopholes and jurisdictional gaps between countries as one of four major factors contributing to the growth of online scams.

The declaration seeks stronger legal frameworks that can keep pace with changing criminal methods.

6. Build Capacity and Resilience

Law-enforcement agencies need appropriate skills, technology and resources to investigate sophisticated online crime.

The declaration therefore calls for capacity building and resilience.

This includes improving investigative capabilities and strengthening the ability of authorities, institutions and communities to prevent and respond to scams.

For countries facing rapidly changing cybercrime threats, training and information sharing can be just as important as new legislation.

7. Deepen Public-Private Partnerships

Governments cannot fight online scams alone.

Banks, telecommunications companies, technology platforms, internet providers, cryptocurrency businesses and cybersecurity firms often have access to information that can help identify suspicious activity.

The declaration therefore calls for deeper cooperation between governments and the private sector.

This approach is particularly important because many scam activities take place through commercial digital infrastructure.

Closer cooperation could help authorities respond more quickly when suspicious accounts, transactions or digital operations are detected.

8. Protect Trafficked Victims and Vulnerable People

One of the most important aspects of the declaration is its focus on victims.

Some people working inside scam operations are not voluntary participants. They may have been recruited through deceptive employment offers and subsequently trafficked or forced to participate in criminal activities.

The declaration specifically calls for protection of trafficked victims and vulnerable people.

This reflects a broader understanding of online scams as a human-trafficking and organised-crime problem, rather than simply a cybersecurity issue.

9. Apply the Non-Punishment Principle to Victims

The declaration also supports the non-punishment principle for victims.

This is significant because people who have been trafficked into scam compounds may be forced to participate in fraudulent activities.

Treating every person found inside a scam operation as a criminal could potentially discourage victims from cooperating with authorities.

A victim-centred approach instead seeks to distinguish trafficked individuals from people who knowingly organise or profit from criminal networks.

10. Prevent Fraud and Human Trafficking

The tenth commitment connects online fraud with human trafficking prevention.

Authorities increasingly recognise that some scam operations depend on recruitment networks that bring people into compounds or other controlled environments.

Preventing deceptive recruitment and trafficking can therefore reduce the supply of vulnerable workers used by criminal organisations.

The declaration calls for measures that address both fraud and trafficking rather than treating them as completely separate crimes.

11. Dismantle Scam Compounds and Prevent Their Return

The final commitment focuses on dismantling online scam compounds and related infrastructure.

This is particularly important for Cambodia, which has spent the past year conducting a major crackdown on scam operations.

Cambodian authorities reported that, over the past year, they had inspected and conducted crackdown operations at 832 online scam locations. They also reported referring 446 cases involving 3,927 suspects to court and deporting 22,142 foreign nationals of 38 nationalities.

The declaration goes further than simply closing existing sites.

It emphasises preventing criminal networks from rebuilding and re-emerging.

Cambodia Expands Its Domestic Crackdown

The declaration comes alongside a broader domestic campaign by Cambodia.

According to the Ministry of Interior, specialised forces conducted operations against 665 online scam sites between July 2025 and June 30, 2026. Authorities also carried out administrative inspections at 28,512 target locations during the same period.

The ministry reported that 268 cases involving 2,773 suspects were sent to court, with 2,200 suspects detained. It also reported the deportation of 21,102 foreign nationals from 38 nationalities connected to online scam activities.

The figures demonstrate the scale of the government’s enforcement campaign.

However, the long-term challenge will be ensuring that criminal groups cannot simply relocate, reorganise or create smaller operations after large compounds are shut down.

Cambodia Considers a National Anti-Scam Centre

Another major development connected to the country’s anti-scam strategy is a proposal to establish a National Centre for Combating Online Scams.

Sar Sokha said the Ministry of Interior is studying and reviewing the possibility of establishing the centre to improve the speed and effectiveness of responses to online scam cases.

Such an institution could potentially provide a more centralised mechanism for coordinating investigations, intelligence, law enforcement and other government responses.

It would also complement Cambodia’s existing Ad Hoc Commission for Combating Online Scams.

Why International Cooperation Matters

The Cambodia online scams declaration reflects a broader reality: online fraud does not respect national borders.

A scammer can contact a victim from thousands of kilometres away. Criminal proceeds can move through multiple financial systems within minutes. Digital identities can be changed rapidly, while criminal organisations can shift their operations from one jurisdiction to another.

That makes cooperation essential.

The conference included representatives from 28 countries and seven international organisations, showing the growing recognition that coordinated action is necessary.

INTERPOL and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime were among the international organisations involved in the conference.

The Cambodian government has also stressed cooperation with partner countries to track down suspected criminal leaders and dismantle networks operating across borders.

Experts Warn That the Fight Is Not Over

The adoption of the declaration represents a significant diplomatic and policy development, but it does not automatically eliminate online scams.

Recent reporting has highlighted concerns that criminal networks can adapt when authorities dismantle large compounds. Reuters reported in August that Cambodian authorities had claimed major progress against scam compounds, while experts and rights organisations questioned whether smaller and less visible operations could continue.

This creates an important test for the Phnom Penh Declaration.

Its success will ultimately depend on implementation.

Countries will need to translate the 11 commitments into investigations, prosecutions, financial seizures, victim protection, technology partnerships and sustained information sharing.

A New Test for Cambodia’s Anti-Scam Strategy

The Cambodia online scams declaration gives the country a new international framework for its anti-scam campaign.

The agreement is important because it combines several approaches: law enforcement, financial investigations, technology, international cooperation, public-private partnerships and victim protection.

That broader strategy recognises that online scams are not simply a problem caused by anonymous individuals operating behind computers.

They can be part of sophisticated criminal systems involving money, recruitment, technology and cross-border networks.

For Cambodia, the next stage will be turning the declaration into measurable results.

The government has already reported extensive enforcement operations. The proposed National Centre for Combating Online Scams could provide another institutional tool.

Meanwhile, international cooperation will remain critical as criminal groups continue adapting.

What the Declaration Could Mean for the Future

The Phnom Penh Declaration sends a clear message that the international response to online scams is moving toward coordinated action.

Its 11 commitments provide a framework for countries to share intelligence, investigate financial networks, improve laws, strengthen technology, protect victims and dismantle criminal infrastructure.

For ordinary internet users, however, the threat remains immediate.

Even as governments intensify enforcement, individuals should continue treating unexpected investment offers, job advertisements, payment requests, suspicious links and unsolicited messages with caution.

The declaration may strengthen the international fight against organised online fraud, but prevention will remain an important part of protecting potential victims.

Ultimately, the Cambodia online scams declaration will be judged not by the ceremony surrounding its adoption, but by whether its commitments lead to sustained action.

If participating countries can turn those commitments into coordinated investigations and stronger protections, the Phnom Penh agreement could become an important step toward disrupting the global scam economy.

If implementation slows, however, criminal networks may continue exploiting gaps between countries and adapting faster than authorities can respond.

For now, Cambodia is positioning itself at the centre of a broader international campaign to confront one of the fastest-changing forms of transnational crime.