UNODC Hails Cambodia’s Leadership in Fight Against Online Scams

UNODC Hails Cambodia’s Leadership in Fight Against Online Scams

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 23, 2026 — The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has expressed appreciation for Cambodia’s hosting of the International Conference on Combating Online Scams, describing the gathering as an important demonstration of the country’s commitment to strengthening international cooperation against transnational cyber-enabled crime.

Delphine Schantz, UNODC Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, thanked Prime Minister Hun Manet for his leadership in bringing countries and international partners together for the conference.

The International Conference on Combating Online Scams (ICCOS-2026) is being held in Phnom Penh on Sept. 23–24 under the theme “Acting Together towards Breaking the Chain and Eradication of Online Scams.” The event is hosted by the Cambodian government and co-sponsored by UNODC-ROSEAP, INTERPOL and the Lancang-Mekong Integrated Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation Centre.

Schantz described online scams as a growing transnational criminal threat affecting people across borders, causing significant economic losses and undermining public trust in institutions.

She cited UN estimates that victims of transnational online scams in East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand lost between US$88.3 billion and US$114.1 billion in 2025, with the higher estimate more than three times the estimated losses recorded in 2023.

Schantz also welcomed what she described as more active efforts in the region, including Cambodia’s establishment of an inter-ministerial mechanism and increased enforcement operations against scam networks.

She identified five priority areas for a more effective response:

1. Developing a shared understanding of emerging scam trends and how criminal networks are evolving.
2. Strengthening legal and regulatory frameworks and capabilities for collecting digital evidence, including through the UN Convention against Cybercrime.
3. Improving cooperation among government institutions and anti-fraud centres.
4. Expanding cooperation with the private sector, particularly financial-technology companies and social-media platforms.
5. Following the money and identifying criminal proceeds in order to disrupt the broader financial ecosystem supporting scam networks.

The UNODC representative said the conference should help turn political commitments into practical and sustainable action, with stronger cooperation needed among governments, law-enforcement agencies, international organisations and the private sector.

The conference brings together governments, international organisations, law-enforcement agencies, financial institutions, technology companies, academia and other stakeholders to exchange experience and strengthen collective responses to online scams.

The event also comes as Cambodia continues a nationwide campaign against online scam operations. Cambodian authorities have said that the country’s response is increasingly focused not only on dismantling large-scale scam compounds but also on adapting to smaller and more fragmented networks.

UNODC’s participation underscores the increasingly international character of the response, with the agency working alongside Cambodia and other countries to strengthen law-enforcement cooperation and address the links between online fraud, organised crime, human trafficking and illicit financial flows.