Tell Cambodia to bring survivors of scamming compounds home 

Thousands of people from across the world are being trafficked into Cambodia – many are trapped, tortured and forced to conduct online scam inside scamming compounds. Cambodia claims that it cracked down on over 250 scamming compounds, but Amnesty’s report shows that collusion between police and gangs helps compounds avoid raids, while survivors are treated as criminals instead of victims of human trafficking and other serious human rights abuses. Send a message urging the Cambodian authorities to take concrete action to support and protect victims and survivors of scamming compounds, and facilitate the safe and voluntary return of those who wish to go home.

What’s the problem?

They handcuffed me to a chair and made me stand for two days. Then they beat us and put us in the car.

Winta, scam compounds survivor 

Winta (not her real name), was lured with a fake job offer and trafficked through Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Laos to work in scam compounds in 2018. After seven years, she was held and transferred against her will through several scamming compounds in Cambodia, where she was subjected to torture or other ill-treatment, and forced to conduct online scams. She was then released and abandoned without any document, and threatened by the local police instead of helped. Despite police investigations into the compounds, authorities have never formally identified Winta as a human trafficking victim, leaving her without access to any state support, and with nowhere to go.

Scam operations in Southeast Asia grew from casino and online gambling industries linked to Chinese criminal networks. COVID-19 disruptions pushed these groups into online scams, repurposing infrastructure. Economic hardship increased trafficking. Cambodia, along with Myanmar and Laos, became key hotspots, with operations expanding since 2020 due to weak enforcement, governance gaps and corruption.

Since July 2025, the Cambodian government claims to have shuttered more than 250 “scam centres”, opened criminal cases against 1,089 suspects and deported 13,039 foreign nationals involved in online scams.

Despite these claims, Amnesty International’s latest research casts serious doubt on the effectiveness of the latest crackdown and raises concerns about the further harm it may have caused to survivors. According to Amnesty’s new report, which is based on 73 testimonials from survivors, people continue to subjected to forced labour, torture, and sexual violence. When survivors do leave scamming compounds, either by escaping or government intervention, they are abandoned without any support, including to pursue justice or return their home countries. Moreover, Amnesty International’s research shows probable collusion between compound managers and local authorities which appears to have significantly undermined the effectiveness of police interventions.

What can you do to help?

People around the world are writing to Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet. You can join them and send an email directly to Prime Minister Hun Manet and Minister of Interior Sar Sokha, urging them to investigate and shutdown all scamming compounds, as well as assist and protect victims and survivors of human trafficking.