FBI praises Cambodia’s anti-scam efforts, rejects ‘safe haven’ label
FBI praises Cambodia’s anti-scam efforts, rejects ‘safe haven’ label
PHNOM PENH, Feb. 5, 2026 — A senior official from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said Cambodia is not a safe haven for online scam networks, citing concrete enforcement actions and results by Cambodian authorities, officials said on Wednesday.
Scott Schelble, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s International Operations Division, made the remarks during a meeting in Phnom Penh with Chhay Sinarith, Cambodia’s senior minister and secretary-general of the national commission tasked with combating technology-based scams.
Schelble praised Cambodia’s efforts under the commission, noting that its actions and outcomes demonstrate that the country is not a hiding place for cyber fraud syndicates.
“Online scams are a complex global problem affecting many countries — not Cambodia alone,” Schelble said, according to a statement released by Cambodian authorities.
Chhay Sinarith said Cambodia has adopted firm legal and operational measures to dismantle scam networks under the commission, which is chaired by Prime Minister Hun Manet. He added that enforcement efforts have continued despite tensions along the Cambodia–Thailand border.
Cambodia has pledged to intensify cooperation with international partners, both bilaterally and multilaterally, to trace criminal networks and their financial flows, the statement said.
Both sides agreed to further strengthen cooperation between the FBI and Cambodian law enforcement, including capacity building and joint efforts to combat transnational cybercrime.
