Amnesty links Cambodian security personnel to scam compounds

Cambodian police and military personnel worked as guards at scam compounds where trafficked people were forced into online fraud, Amnesty International alleged in a new investigation. The group interviewed 151 survivors, visited 82 compounds and reviewed records concerning more than 400 additional victims between January 2023 and September 2026. It linked operations to five private security companies with political or security connections.

Survivors described confinement, beatings, electric shocks, rape and guards preventing escape. Amnesty said it identified more than 20 police or military members with an active presence at compounds. These are documented allegations by a rights organisation, not criminal findings against every named person or company. One military officer cited by the Guardian denied owning or operating a security firm Amnesty associated with multiple sites.

Cambodia says its crackdown closed hundreds of centres and led to arrests, prosecutions and discipline against officials. Amnesty argues that the underlying protection networks remain. The evidentiary test is whether authorities publish case outcomes, protect survivors and investigate officers and firms independently rather than counting raids alone. Because scam compounds target victims and consumers across borders, accountability also requires cooperation with countries whose citizens were trafficked or defrauded.