US EditionFraudsters Flee Cambodia's 'Scam City' After Alleged Kingpin Deported to China
Chen Zhi's deportation to China sparked raids and asset freezes, prompting hundreds to flee Sihanoukville scam sites amid intensified regional cybercrime crackdowns.
- On January 7, Cambodian authorities detained and deported Chen Zhi, founder and former chairman of Prince Group accused of fronting a global multibillion-dollar fraud operation who had lived freely until recently.
- Western sanctions and indictments last year helped prompt scrutiny of Chen Zhi's sheltering, but questions remain why Prime Minister Hun Manet's government acted only now and handed him to China.
- Cybercrime in East and Southeast Asia was estimated at nearly $40 billion in 2023, with Cambodia accounting for $12.5 billion and scams generating 30.2% of Cambodia's formal GDP.
- Regional leaders face pressure to coordinate rather than cede accountability to Beijing or Phnom Penh, as handing Chen to China raises questions and October sanctions prompt ASEAN to coordinate responses.
- Despite long-standing promises by the Hun regime under Prime Minister Hun Manet, Chen proved untouchable in recent years, while UNODC found weak governance and only about 7,000 of 120,000 victims were freed in Myanmar.
50 Articles
50 Articles
China keeps pressure on Cambodia to target cross-border fraud and trafficking
Beijing is urging Phnom Penh to broaden its crackdown on Cambodia’s online fraud industry, keeping up pressure following the arrest and extradition to China of alleged fraud kingpin Chen Zhi. In a meeting with Phnom Penh’s interior and foreign ministers, Chinese ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wenbin said criminal acts of online fraud, illegal detention and related transnational crimes “posed a serious obstacle” to deepening cooperation between the …
Cambodia: Victims must be protected as thousands ‘leave scamming compounds’
Responding to emerging videos that appear to show the release and escape attempts of victims from scamming compounds across Cambodia, Amnesty International’s Regional Research Director Montse Ferrer said: “Footage appearing to show the mass release and escape attempts from scamming compounds of individuals who are possibly victims of human trafficking and torture raises concerns that thousands of people are now stranded in Cambodia without suppo…
Fraudsters flee Cambodia’s ‘scam city’ after boss taken down
SIHANOUKVILLE - Hundreds of people dragged away suitcases, computer monitors, pets and furniture as they fled a suspected Cambodian cyberfraud centre, after the country's most wanted alleged scam kingpin was arrested and deported.
Why Cambodia deported scam boss Chen Zhi to China, not the US
On January 7, Cambodian authorities announced they had detained and deported Chen Zhi, founder and former chairman of Prince Group, a multinational conglomerate accused of fronting a global multibillion-dollar fraud operation. Chen, a former advisor to ex-Prime Minister Hun Sen, became a key figure in a joint US-UK response last year when he was personally indicted for wire fraud and […] The post Why Cambodia deported scam boss Chen Zhi to China…
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