On the morning of May 24, 2026, Senate President and Acting Head of State Hun Sen warned about online scams at a meeting with more than 4,000 leaders from the Senate, National Assembly, government departments and Phnom Penh’s districts and communes.
He said online scams and the forces behind them could threaten national security and warned that Cambodia might face a future disaster unless they were eradicated.
He said the crimes damaged the national image and harmed the public. Without timely action, future generations could be induced or trained to commit scams or become involved in serious crimes such as torture. He said the government had taken action and that there was still time to change course.
Hun Sen also warned that criminal groups had penetrated society and could threaten national leaders as well as ordinary people.
Hun Sen also said some media analyses had identified a problem: following the crackdowns, some large scam groups had moved to smaller, more concealed locations to continue operating and sought protection from local officials.
Hun Sen said the national campaign against online scams was led by Prime Minister Hun Manet.
He called for legal action against complicit officials and the removal of officials who failed to act.
He also referred to the replacement of Mondulkiri’s former governor, provincial police chief and gendarmerie commander, and urged the province’s new leaders to take stringent action against online scams.
