Cambodian officials urge crackdown on online fraud in 2026

Pailin [Cambodia], January 2: Chhay Sinarith, head of the Cambodian Cybercrime Committee's secretariat, urged officials to intensify the fight against online fraud in the new year.
The Khmer Times reported on January 2nd that Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith, Chairman of the National Center for Information Technology (NCIT) of Cambodia , urged officials to strengthen security measures and step up the crackdown on all forms of cybercrime to protect national security.
Speaking at the NCIT's 2025 review and 2026 plan implementation conference on December 31, 2025, Mr. Sinarith urged officials to increase their focus on strategic measures, research, and investigation to combat cybercrime, particularly cross-border violations.
He encouraged officials to enhance their professional skills through training, experience sharing, maintaining internal unity, and strengthening cooperation between government agencies and the private sector. Mr. Sinarith also serves as the Chief Secretary of the Cambodian Committee Against Cybercrime.
On July 14, 2025, the Cambodian government launched a nationwide campaign against cybercrime, involving ministries, provincial governments, and relevant agencies. This campaign empowers coordinated forces to apply the strictest legal measures against offenders.
Online scams , often involving human trafficking and job fraud, have been rampant in Southeast Asian countries in recent years, particularly Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, according to the Khmer Times .
In early December 2025, authorities conducted coordinated raids at two locations, arresting 125 suspects and rescuing two South Korean victims. Between June 27 and October 14, 2025, Cambodia arrested 3,455 foreigners suspected of involvement in cybercrime within the country.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper