UNODC pledges to support Cambodia in its campaign against growing online!!! crime

On January 29, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) expressed its support for Cambodia in its campaign against cybercrime, as it continues to become a hub for criminal groups to actively engage in fraud operations. The support came after UNODC organized a training course for Cambodian authorities to learn about methods to prevent cybercrime in the country and the region.

In response to the rise in cybercrime and fraud, especially currency and identity theft, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has launched a training course for law enforcement officers from the Department of Cybercrime, the Department of Anti-Gambling Crime, as well as prosecutors and judges on how criminal groups plan their operations and methods of prevention.

In addition, UNODC is committed to continuing to work closely with the Cambodian government to build the capacity of Cambodian officials to prevent and increase awareness, enhance international cooperation, especially in data collection, research, and analysis of cybercrime.  

Joshua James, UNODC's cybercrime coordinator for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said that criminal groups are expanding in the region with a variety of methods, such as online shopping scams, dating scams and identity theft sites.

In this regard, Joshua James wants to emphasize that the only way to respond to this increase in fraud is to increase the training of Cambodian authorities. According to UNODC experts, fraud through mobile banking applications is becoming a concern and poses a high risk, requiring Cambodian authorities to increase digital security even more.

Cambodian officials acknowledge that online fraud is a complex issue that requires all parties involved to work together and understand how criminal groups operate. Cambodia is currently under the spotlight in foreign newspapers, which accuse it of being the site of a major online fraud operation in the region, with thousands of victims of various ethnicities. The criminal groups rent buildings or locations from Cambodian businessmen to operate.