Cambodia’s Efforts Against Online Scams Draw International Praise

Mr. Joshua James, Regional Counter-Cybercrime Coordinator for UNODC

Phnom Penh, September 24, 2026 —
Phnom Penh has served as an important platform for international leaders and experts to exchange knowledge and experiences at the International Conference on Combating Online Scams (ICCOS-2026), held on Sept. 23-24, with international delegates highly commending Cambodia for hosting the major event.

Delegates from the United Nations, the Philippines and France shared their perspectives on Cambodia’s efforts to combat cybercrime and noted that the Kingdom’s recent crackdown on online scams offers valuable lessons for the international community.

Mr. Joshua James, Regional Counter-Cybercrime Coordinator for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), praised the conference and highlighted Cambodia’s recent efforts to shut down scam centres across the country.

“Cambodia has made major efforts to respond to the issue, and the international community has learned a lot from what Cambodia is doing,” Mr. James said.

He noted that the conference successfully brought together relevant leaders and experts to examine where transnational organised crime groups are moving next and how their methods are evolving.

Attorney Noreliza R. Maruñg Manlangit from the Department of Justice of the Philippines also expressed appreciation for the Cambodian hosts and their hospitality. She recognised the Cambodian Government’s strong commitment to combating online scams, which she said helps protect both the national economy and vulnerable people from human trafficking.

Mr. Yannick Reibel, Head of the Online Fraud Group at the French Ministry of Interior, described the organisation of the conference as “perfect.” He noted that France is also heavily affected by online fraud, reinforcing the view that online scams constitute a global threat.

Mr. Reibel stressed that law-enforcement agencies worldwide must share information and work together.

“It is absolutely imperative that there is international cooperation between police forces, internal security forces, and magistrates,” he said. “Each country cannot remain isolated in its own corner to fight this phenomenon.”

The two-day conference brought together senior officials, policymakers and law-enforcement authorities from nearly 30 countries and seven international organisations to exchange experiences, discuss emerging challenges and develop shared approaches to combating technology-facilitated online scams. -AKP-

By Sophat