Cambodia hosts anti-scam conference

Officials from around the world have gathered in Cambodia for a conference on countermeasures against scam organizations.

The two-day event took place in Phnom Penh. Representatives from more than 30 countries and international organizations took part.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet stressed his government's commitment to eradicating scam compounds.

"Cambodia will never be a safe haven for online scams," said Manet. "This transnational crime is a recent post COVID-19 phenomenon -- one that is entirely foreign to our national culture, values and identity."

An official from Japan's National Police Agency addressed the conference. He said stronger cooperation is needed not only between governments, but also with private sector partners, including financial institutions.

Earlier in the week, Cambodian authorities took reporters inside several former compounds. They say they have shut down more than 600 of the bases across the country since July of last year.

But new technologies like AI are making the scams themselves increasingly sophisticated and difficult to stop.