Scam Recruitment Continues to Lure Victims in Siem Reap Despite Government Claims

Online recruitment for jobs tied to Cambodia's scam industry continued in the weeks after the government claimed there were no industrial online scam compounds remaining in the country, according to a report released Friday by digital security consultant Moses Ngeth.

Ngeth's report, which examined 4,991 job ads posted between April 2023 and July 2026 across 37 public Telegram channels and groups that advertise work in Cambodia, found that many of the postings read as ordinary job ads, but the job titles and pay structures matched those used inside the country's scam compounds.

A separate 18-day review conducted by Ngeth from Aug. 28 to Sept. 14, after Cambodia's public statement that no compounds remained, found 59 alleged scam job postings for sites in Cambodia among 306 total ads reviewed across five Telegram channels.

Of those, 28 were for Poipet, 14 for Sihanoukville, nine for Phnom Penh, and the rest for Pailin, Dara Sakor, Bavet and Siem Reap, with four naming only “Cambodia.” The remaining 193 ads in that same 18-day window were for worksites outside the country, in Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Pakistan, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand.

The shift outside Cambodia shows up in the wider dataset too. From July 2025 to April 2026, about 5% of ads that named a location were for a job outside the country, the report found. From May to July 2026, after an April deadline set by the government for compounds to close had passed, that share rose to 55%, within the same channels and the same recruiters.

The government later said the April deadline was not accurate.

Ad volume rose and fell around several points in the government’s crackdown, which began in July 2025. Postings climbed toward the end of 2025 and peaked in January 2026, before the government’s February “XXL” campaign. Postings then dropped to 394 in February and 343 in March, before rising to 562 in April and 588 in July.

Ngeth cautions that data collection became more thorough after mid-2025, so comparisons with the earlier period may not be exact.

The most commonly advertised job, appearing in about a quarter of all ads, was “Add Contact,” in which workers find people online and start conversations with them, for $600 to $750 a month, according to the report. Other ads sought “Models” or workers who appear on video calls, sometimes using AI software, to convince victims an online contact is real and claimed to offer up to $7,000. Many ads asked for English proficiency and named target “markets” including the United States, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

The reports identifiers for scam related jobs are similar to previous researchers’ criteria for identifying recruitment into fraud operations, which often relies on forced or coerced labor.

Government spokesperson Pen Bona, declined to comment on the report and referred questions to the Interior Ministry. National Police spokesperson Chhay Kim Khoeun, did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Interior Ministry spokesperson Touch Sokhak said he was unaware of the methodology used in the report and urged Ngeth to cooperate with the ministry.

“Till now we have asserted that there are few of those social media job recruitment ads for these operations, if compared to the past because of legal enforcement by the Ministry of Interior and other key actors,” he said.

Sokhak said that over the past few years, the Interior Ministry has identified hundreds of thousands of fraudulent social media accounts, including illegal job recruitment advertisements, and has worked with telecom companies and the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications to combat the issue.

For expats and digital nomads living in Siem Reap, it's essential to be aware of the ongoing scam recruitment efforts and to take necessary precautions to protect yourself from potential scams. If you're considering taking a job in Cambodia, research the company thoroughly and be cautious of any job postings that seem too good to be true or ask for personal or financial information.

Stay informed about the latest developments in the fight against scam recruitment in Cambodia, and report any suspicious activity to the authorities.

As a resident of Siem Reap, I can attest that the area is generally a safe and welcoming place for expats and digital nomads. However, it's crucial to stay vigilant and take steps to protect yourself from potential scams.

By being aware of the ongoing scam recruitment efforts and taking necessary precautions, you can minimize your risk of falling victim to these scams and enjoy a safe and successful experience in Siem Reap.

Stay safe, and happy travels!