Cambodia has taken a firm step toward cracking down on crypto-related scam operations, as the Senate unanimously approved a draft law that would impose prison terms and heavy fines on people involved in scam centers linked to crypto fraud and other online crimes.
All 58 senators voted in favor of the measure on Friday. It now awaits royal assent from the king before becoming law. The bill would introduce new criminal penalties — prison sentences of two to five years and fines of up to $125,000 for specified offenses — with punishments potentially doubling when crimes are committed by gangs or affect multiple victims.
Lawmakers say the proposal is designed to close legal gaps in Cambodia’s current framework for dealing with tech-enabled fraud. The Senate described the draft as part of a broader push to tackle risks to social security, the economy and public order, improve cooperation with other jurisdictions, and protect Cambodia’s international reputation. In the Senate’s notice, officials said the new rules would “fill the gaps and deficiencies in the current law” and strengthen efforts to combat fraud.
The bill follows growing international scrutiny of scam compounds across Southeast Asia. A 2025 U.S. State Department report criticized Cambodia for often treating scam cases as labor disputes rather than prosecuting compound owners or operators. Earlier moves by other governments have included sanctions from the United Kingdom against operators of a Cambodia-based scam center, and Cambodia’s extradition to China of a crime syndicate leader reportedly linked to such compounds.
Regional and U.N. reporting has documented the human cost inside these sites. A 2024 U.N. report on a compound in the Philippines described situations of trafficking, people held against their will and exposure to violence. Many of these scam centers operate as self-contained facilities — effectively fenced off from the outside world with on-site dormitories, restaurants and services that limit contact with outsiders.
The National Assembly already approved the bill on March 30 with unanimous support from all 112 members, and the Senate’s vote now brings the measure one step away from becoming law. If it is signed by the king, the law will place fresh attention on how Cambodia intends to dismantle scam operations linked to crypto fraud and other online criminal networks.
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