Rights watch group paints bleak picture of scam centers in Cambodia

​​​​​​​By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - Amnesty International painted a bleak picture Tuesday of scam centers in Cambodia where thousands of victims are subjected to abuses.

The rights group said on its website that thousands who escaped the scam compounds in recent weeks were subjected to “grave abuses including rape and torture,” and are currently in “urgent need of humanitarian assistance.”

The group said that its interviews with 35 victims, almost all foreign nationals, revealed a grim situation “for those who have been left without passports, money, medical care or any pathway to safety after leaving compounds run by criminal gangs.”

Survivors noted “horrendous abuse” including sexual assault, severe torture, other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and even murder that took place inside the compounds.

“This mass exodus from scamming compounds has created a humanitarian crisis on the streets that is being ignored by the Cambodian government. Amid scenes of chaos and suffering, thousands of traumatized survivors are being left to fend for themselves with no state support,” said Montse Ferrer, Amnesty International’s regional research director.

“This is an international crisis on Cambodian soil. Our researchers have met people from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas. They are in urgent need of consular assistance in order to help get them home and out of harm’s way,” she added.

Cambodia announced a nationwide crackdown on scam centers in 2025. Phnom Penh later announced it had freed more than 3,000 human trafficking victims.​​​​​​​