Amnesty International has accused the Cambodian government of deliberately ignoring widespread human rights abuses committed by cybercrime gangs operating brutal scam compounds across the country.

In a report released on Thursday, the London-based rights group said criminal syndicates had trafficked individuals including children from across the world and enslaved them in prison-like compounds, where they were forced to carry out online fraud under inhumane conditions.

Amnesty identified at least 53 confirmed scam centres and dozens more suspected locations, including sites in the capital, Phnom Penh. These compounds were reportedly surrounded by high fences topped with razor wire, guarded by armed personnel, and operated by human trafficking victims coerced into defrauding people globally.

Victims who tried to resist or escape were subjected to severe punishments, including electric shocks from batons, beatings, and confinement in dark, locked rooms, according to the report.

The group said its findings exposed a “pattern of state failures” that has allowed the multi-billion-dollar scam industry to thrive unchecked in Cambodia. These include failures to investigate human rights violations, properly identify and support victims, and regulate the operations of private security firms and the use of torture devices.

“Deceived, trafficked and enslaved, the survivors of these scamming compounds describe being trapped in a living nightmare – enlisted in criminal enterprises that are operating with the apparent consent of the Cambodian government,” said Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard.

Amnesty said the Cambodian authorities failed to respond to its detailed list of known and suspected scam compounds, and that the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking provided only vague figures on interventions, with no clear evidence that human rights abusers had been prosecuted beyond charges related to illegal detention.

While the Cambodian government has claimed to be cracking down on cybercrime syndicates and in January launched a taskforce led by Prime Minister Hun Manet Amnesty’s investigation found that over two-thirds of the scam compounds it reviewed had either not been investigated or remained operational even after police intervention.

In two cases, compounds appeared to have been shut down. However, Amnesty noted that during rescue operations, police rarely entered the premises. Instead, they coordinated with compound representatives who handed over only the victim who made the distress call. Survivors also reported being beaten by supervisors after attempting to contact the authorities.

Faridah Abdulkadiri

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