Cambodia opens former scam compound to media ahead of anti-scam summit

September 22, 2026 at 09:39 AM2 min

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Cambodia granted journalists access to the former No. 8 Park scam compound in Prey Veng province on September 21. The visit precedes the International Conference on Combating Online Scams, which opens in Phnom Penh on September 23 with representatives from more than 20 countries.

Key Facts

Journalists from 39 domestic and international media organizations visited the No. 8 Park compound in Prey Veng province on September 21.
The compound covers about 120 hectares and was built to house around 20,000 people.
Cambodian authorities raided No. 8 Park in February based on information from China's Ministry of Public Security and the U.S. FBI.
The government claims it has investigated over 830 suspected scam sites and dismantled 86 large compounds since July 2025.
The International Conference on Combating Online Scams opens in Phnom Penh on September 23, co-hosted by Interpol, the UNODC, and China's Lancang Mekong Cooperation mechanism.

The Compound

No. 8 Park, also known as the Meun Chey Commercial Center, began construction in 2023 and covers about 120 hectares. The site contains residential blocks, offices, a market, shops, and a casino at its center. The Phnom Penh Post described the scale of the site as resembling a small, enclosed town.

Evidence of Scams

Journalists were shown rooms set up to resemble foreign law enforcement offices, including one with signage for the Singapore Police Force Commercial Affairs Department. Scammers used these rooms to pose as police and financial crime investigators. Another room featured a Chinese slogan: 'Please don't pretend to work hard, because the result won't act with you.'

Anti-Scam Crackdown

Phnom Penh launched the crackdown last year in response to growing international scrutiny of Cambodia's role in Southeast Asia's scamming economy. The government set up an ad hoc Commission for Combating Online Scams and passed a law outlawing cyberfraud. Cambodian authorities say they have deported more than 20,000 foreign suspects.