Criminal networks in Cambodia are luring foreign job seekers with promises of high-paying roles, then detaining them and forcing them to run online fraud operations, including phishing. Survivors describe being confined in guarded compounds, having passports seized, and facing escalating coercion to meet daily profit quotas. Those who resist or fall short report beatings, fines, resale to other gangs, and threats of severe harm; some accounts allege organ trafficking, underscoring the brutality of these operations. Authorities have announced raids and rescues, but the networks remain adaptable and transnational.

How the schemes operate

• Recruitment: Scammers use job boards, social media, and encrypted messaging to advertise “urgent” openings with inflated salaries, bonus housing, and fast visas.

• Transit and intake: Recruits are moved across borders or within Cambodia, often asked to surrender passports “for processing,” then confined in office-like compounds with restricted movement.

• Coercion and control: Victims face debt bondage through fake “fees,” close surveillance, and physical intimidation. Daily revenue targets are enforced; missed quotas trigger punishments or “transfer” to harsher sites.

• Assigned work: Detainees are forced to conduct phishing, investment and romance scams (“pig butchering”), tech support fraud, and crypto cons targeting victims in multiple languages.

• Punishment and escalation: Reports describe violence, deprivation, sale to other criminal groups, and threats of extreme harm. Some survivor and NGO accounts allege organ trafficking; while difficult to independently verify, the allegations reflect the severe risks victims face.

Who is being targeted

• Primary targets: Young professionals, recent graduates, migrant workers, and travelers seeking quick overseas placements.

• Common lures: Unsolicited offers, no-interview hires, promises of 2–3× market pay, “all expenses paid” relocations, and pressure to decide within 24–48 hours.

• Red flags: Requests to hand over passports, pay “training/visa” fees upfront, sign nontransparent contracts, or relocate to a “campus” in a border zone.

Law enforcement and diplomatic response

• Police actions: Cambodian authorities have publicized raids on compounds and the rescue of foreign nationals, sometimes in coordination with neighboring countries.

• Challenges: These syndicates shift locations, use shell firms, and exploit corruption and jurisdictional gaps, making sustained disruption difficult.

• Diplomatic support: Embassies and consulates can assist with verification, emergency extraction, temporary travel documents, and coordination with local police.

Safety guidance for job seekers

• Verify employers: Cross-check company registration, physical address, and leadership; confirm with local business registries and call a publicly listed office number.

• Research the offer: Search the role, recruiter name, and “scam” together; beware if the job description is vague or copied.

• Protect documents: Never surrender passports or IDs to employers or intermediaries; keep secure digital copies.

• Avoid upfront payments: Legitimate employers do not charge training, placement, or visa “processing” fees.

• Demand transparency: Insist on a written contract in your language that states salary, hours, location, and exit terms; avoid “trial periods” abroad without a contract.

• Travel safeguards: Share your itinerary and accommodation with trusted contacts; register your trip with your embassy and set regular check-ins.

• If you’re in danger: Prioritize personal safety. Seek help from your embassy/consulate, reputable NGOs, hotel staff, or local authorities when safe to do so. Use discreet channels (public Wi‑Fi, borrowed phones) and avoid actions that could escalate retaliation.

What needs to happen next

• Stronger cross-border enforcement: Joint investigations, asset freezes, and extraditions targeting financiers and recruiters—not just on-the-ground guards.

• Platform accountability: Rapid takedowns of fraudulent job posts and recruiter accounts; improved verification for overseas listings.

• Worker protections: Clear guidance from governments on safe migration pathways, blacklists of complicit agencies, and support for survivors, including legal aid and repatriation.

Stay vigilant. If an overseas job sounds unusually easy or lucrative, verify everything before you go—and keep control of your documents and decisions.