US EditionAid Shelter in Cambodia Struggles as Scam-Compound Escapees Surge
Thousands of trafficked workers freed from online scam compounds face a growing humanitarian crisis with many stranded without documents or funds, Amnesty International warns.
- In recent weeks, Cambodian authorities freed thousands from scam compounds, triggering a `growing humanitarian crisis` as many lack passports, money, or places to return, Amnesty International said.
- Chen Zhi's arrest last month triggered diplomatic pressure that preceded the raids, with the US Justice Department calling him the `mastermind behind a sprawling cyberfraud empire`.
- In Phnom Penh, survivors queued at embassies seeking help, with the Indonesian embassy reporting over 3,400 requests and shelters turning away more than 300 last week.
- Amnesty and aid groups say survivors of scam compounds suffered severe abuse and face urgent psychological needs, while Cambodia deported 1,620 foreign nationals in January amid shelter funding cuts including a lost $1.4 million USAID grant.
- Despite the raids, scam compound infrastructure remains intact and active in Koh Kong and Poipet, with Telegram recruiters targeting freed individuals, risking re-recruitment, despite vows to eradicate networks by April.
24 Articles
24 Articles
In Cambodia, thousands flood out of scam compounds and find little help
A shelter in Cambodia, the only one of its kind, is overwhelmed as workers flee scam compounds. The Caritas shelter, previously funded by the U.S., is struggling with limited resources. The shelter is housing about 150 people, but many more…
Rutland Herald
In Cambodia, thousands flood out of scam compounds and find increasingly little help
A shelter in Cambodia, the only one of its kind, is overwhelmed as workers flee scam compounds in the country. The Caritas shelter, previously funded by the U.S., is struggling with limited resources. The shelter is housing about 150 people,…
Handwritten playbook uncovered in overseas romance scam reveals how victims are targeted and defrauded
Federal investigators have revealed disturbing details about a sophisticated romance scam operation based in Cambodia, where thousands of workers allegedly targeted Americans through fake online relationships.Cambodian police dismantled the compound earlier this year with intelligence provided by the FBI. The case comes as reported romance scam losses hit a record $943 million in 2025, prompting a new interagency awareness campaign ahead of Vale…
The Conversation
einnews.comThey escaped appalling conditions in scam factories. Now, they are living on the streets in Cambodia
Indonesians freed from scam centres wait outside the Indonesian embassy in Phnom Penh for help returning home. Magdalena Chodownik/Anadolu via Getty Images“I was running from the war, and I got to a war again.” This is how Eric, a young man from central Africa, described how he ended up at a scam compound in Cambodia – and then stranded in the country with no way out. Eric’s story is like that of many people deceived into the scamming world. Aft…
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