Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet conceded online scam centres had indirectly boosted some business activities and provided jobs in the country, but denied Cambodia had profited from the crime rings. (Photo: AFP)BRUSSELS - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Wednesday that scam centres were destroying his country’s economy and giving the nation a bad name — pushing back on allegations of government connivance. “The scam network, what we call the black economy, is destroying our honest economy. It has put a bad reputation on Cambodia,” Hun Manet told AFP in a rare interview with international media, saying this was harming tourism and investment. Cambodia hosts dozens of the scam centres with an estimated 100,000 people — many victims of human trafficking — perpetrating online scams, experts say.

Source: Bangkok Post February 26, 2026 05:07 UTC