Cambodia Deports 59 South Koreans Over Online Scam Scheme

October 17, 2025 | 10:43 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Cambodia is set to deport 59 South Korean nationals involved in an online scam scheme. This comes after the South Korean government sent a team to investigate the fate of their citizens, as reported by CNA News.

This operation is carried out in collaboration between the Cambodian and South Korean governments.

"Authorities plan to deport 59 South Korean nationals ... who have been rescued by Cambodian authorities or detained for other crimes to their country with cooperation from the embassy of South Korea," according to a statement from Cambodia's national police on Thursday.

A day earlier, the South Korean government imposed a ban on its citizens visiting certain areas in Cambodia. This action was taken in response to cases of fake jobs and fraud centers involved in the abduction of dozens of their citizens.

As reported by KBS World, earlier this week, the South Korean presidential office announced that Cambodian immigration authorities had detained 63 South Korean citizens. Four of them have been repatriated by commercial flights.

Seoul stated that it is arranging additional flights and aims to complete the repatriation process by the end of the week.

Criminal Syndicates in Cambodia

Before this, the South Korean government reported that approximately 1,000 South Korean citizens were involved in scam operations in Cambodia, including about 200,000 people.

Some were forced under threat of violence to carry out the "pig slaughter" scam, a cryptocurrency investment scheme that built trust with victims over time before stealing their funds.

Organized crime groups running the scams have targeted victims worldwide, resulting in billions of dollars in losses each year.

Business and Human Rights Information Center reported that the profits from these illegal businesses are largely linked to individuals close to Cambodia's political elite.

This information is based on a release from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which has detailed reports on transnational organized crime, cybercrime, and online fraud operations.

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