The United Kingdom and Cambodia are deepening their partnership to combat criminal networks behind online scams, with a new Memorandum of Understanding signed during a visit by a UK minister to Phnom Penh this week.
Lord Hanson, Minister of State for the Home Office, is attending the International Conference on Combating Online Scams from 22 to 24 September. He is scheduled to meet Cambodian government counterparts, UN agencies, and independent journalists to discuss the issue.
The new agreement aims to facilitate closer intelligence sharing, financial and digital investigations, and improved protections for victims of trafficking associated with scam operations. This builds on existing collaboration and forms part of wider international efforts to disrupt online fraud networks.
Lord Hanson stated that fraud is a global threat with devastating human impact, affecting both defrauded victims and trafficked individuals. He added that no country can tackle this threat alone and praised Cambodia's determination in confronting criminal networks within its borders.
The UK has previously taken coordinated action with the US to disrupt criminal networks operating scam centres across Southeast Asia, including sanctions that froze over £125 million in assets.