Phnom penh: China has issued a firm warning to Cambodia regarding the growing issue of call center scams and the disappearance of Chinese nationals within the country, which is beginning to jeopardize the longstanding friendship between the two nations. The Chinese Embassy in Cambodia has called upon the Cambodian authorities to take swift and decisive action to curb these illegal activities.
According to Thai News Agency, the Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia, Wang Wenbin, held a meeting with senior Cambodian ministers to express his deep concern over the increasing number of Chinese citizens disappearing in scam-prone areas. The ambassador released a statement via WeChat highlighting the impact of these illicit activities, particularly the rise of online fraud, which contradicts the spirit of cooperation between China and Cambodia.
Data from the United Nations reveals that Cambodia has approximately 100,000 individuals engaged in this illegal industry. Originally targeting Chinese-speaking individuals, the transnational crime syndicate has expanded globally, causing damages exceeding 1.1 trillion baht last year.
The scam networks victimize both those who enter willingly as con artists and those ensnared through human trafficking, deception, forced labor, and violent intimidation. In response, China has intensified efforts to extradite key figures in these networks from Southeast Asia. Recently, Cambodia extradited Chen Zhi, a Chinese-born billionaire suspected of operating a major scam center, back to China for legal proceedings.
Despite the Cambodian government's assertions of a serious crackdown, Amnesty International has raised concerns that Cambodian authorities might be overlooking human rights abuses within these scamming networks. Consequently, the international community is closely monitoring how Cambodia addresses the issue to prevent further deterioration of bilateral relations due to the escalating call center scam crisis.