Amnesty International links Cambodian security firms to scam compounds

Amnesty International has released a report alleging that Cambodian police and military officers have worked as private security guards within scam compounds. These compounds are central to a massive online fraud industry involving human trafficking, forced labor, slavery, and sexual violence.

The investigation, based on 151 survivor interviews and visits to 82 sites, identifies five well-connected private security companies that provided services at these locations. The report claims these companies are linked to members of Cambodia’s political elite, military, and business networks.

According to Amnesty International, guards used violence, including electric batons, to enforce compliance, control exits, and hunt down individuals attempting to escape. Secretary General Agnès Callamard stated that these security connections are essential to the functioning of the billion-dollar criminal scamming networks, which often utilize ‘pig butchering’ romance fraud to target victims globally.