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On March 31, the Cambodian National Police conducted a special operation in Phnom Penh (the capital of Cambodia), during which a telephone fraud center was liquidated. 186 suspects, citizens of mainland China and Taiwan, were detained at the scene.
According to local media, the operation was led by the National Police Intelligence Department, which carried out a surprise inspection and detention of the criminals. The underground center was located in a private house (pictured below) in the Sangkat Sanat area, Sen Sok district. The operation began during the day and lasted until night. According to the police report, all 186 foreign citizens were detained at the scene of the crime and taken to the police station for questioning. The case is currently being investigated in accordance with the law. Such telephone fraud centers have become a real disaster in Southeast Asia, and we have written about similar incidents many times. Criminals rent large premises, equip them with dozens of computers and telephone lines. They operate according to two main schemes: direct deception, when they introduce themselves as employees of banks or government agencies, and the so-called "pig butchering" - long-term building of trust with the victim for subsequent involvement in fictitious investment projects. Of particular concern is the connection of these centers with human trafficking. Many "operators" are citizens of Asian countries who were deceived and promised legal work. Upon arrival, their passports are taken away and they are forced to deceive the victims under the threat of physical violence. Often, those who refuse to work or do not fulfill the plan for collecting money are beaten, tortured or sold to other underground centers. The criminals deliberately choose countries with weak police control, from where they call China or other developed countries in the region. The victims are in one country, and the fraudsters are in another, which seriously complicates the investigation. Calls are often routed through multiple countries, and the money passes through a multitude of shell accounts, making them virtually impossible to trace. Despite regular police raids, underground call centers continue to proliferate. Syndicates quickly reopen their operations, recruit new victims, and refine their methods of deception. According to law enforcement, groups of this type steal hundreds of millions of dollars from people every year.



According to local media, the operation was led by the National Police Intelligence Department, which carried out a surprise inspection and detention of the criminals. The underground center was located in a private house (pictured below) in the Sangkat Sanat area, Sen Sok district. The operation began during the day and lasted until night. According to the police report, all 186 foreign citizens were detained at the scene of the crime and taken to the police station for questioning. The case is currently being investigated in accordance with the law. Such telephone fraud centers have become a real disaster in Southeast Asia, and we have written about similar incidents many times. Criminals rent large premises, equip them with dozens of computers and telephone lines. They operate according to two main schemes: direct deception, when they introduce themselves as employees of banks or government agencies, and the so-called "pig butchering" - long-term building of trust with the victim for subsequent involvement in fictitious investment projects. Of particular concern is the connection of these centers with human trafficking. Many "operators" are citizens of Asian countries who were deceived and promised legal work. Upon arrival, their passports are taken away and they are forced to deceive the victims under the threat of physical violence. Often, those who refuse to work or do not fulfill the plan for collecting money are beaten, tortured or sold to other underground centers. The criminals deliberately choose countries with weak police control, from where they call China or other developed countries in the region. The victims are in one country, and the fraudsters are in another, which seriously complicates the investigation. Calls are often routed through multiple countries, and the money passes through a multitude of shell accounts, making them virtually impossible to trace. Despite regular police raids, underground call centers continue to proliferate. Syndicates quickly reopen their operations, recruit new victims, and refine their methods of deception. According to law enforcement, groups of this type steal hundreds of millions of dollars from people every year.