"699 Indonesians Fall Victim to Scam Industry in Cambodia", 23 January 2026

The Directorate of Women, Children, and Human Trafficking (PPA-PPO) of the Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) of the Indonesian National Police (Polri) revealed that 699 Indonesian citizens were victims of human trafficking in an online scam industry operating in Cambodia. The victims were deceived by job offers promising high salaries.

"In 2025, 699 Indonesian citizens were recorded as victims of online scams in Cambodia. This demonstrates the significant scale of the crime," said Brigadier General Nurul Azizah, Director of PPA-PPO at Bareskrim, during a discussion at the Bareskrim Building ...

Nurul said the victims received job offers with salaries of IDR 15-20 million per month. The recruiters also offered accommodation. The perpetrators typically claimed to employ victims as customer service representatives, telemarketers, or even crypto operators.

According to Nurul, one of the biggest challenges in combating human trafficking in Cambodia is the disorganized nature of the network. "Decentralized networks make it difficult to apprehend the core perpetrators," he said. Investigators also often encounter jurisdictional boundaries between countries.

Furthermore, victims are at risk of criminalization due to the construction of cases that implicate them in online fraudulent activities. However, he said, the National Police will avoid criminalizing victims who commit violations under duress.