FBI Director Kash Patel Visits Cambodia
On July 22, Director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Kash Patel visited Cambodia to meet with Prime Minister Hun Manet and Police Commissioner Sar Thet to discuss joint efforts to combat online scam operations targeting U.S. citizens. In their respective meetings, Patel pledged deeper cooperation and reiterated the need for strong, joint efforts to combat transnational cybercrime, including increased efforts to hold high-level scam bosses accountable and for improved information sharing regarding complicit officials and scam compound owners.
Patel’s visit comes after a report released on July 21 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimated that scam operations caused losses of up to $114 billion across the Asia-Pacific region in 2025. The report warned that, despite ongoing raids on industrial-scale scam centers concentrated in border areas of Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia, criminal networks have adapted by relocating to other regions or operating through smaller, more dispersed facilities.
While the high-level FBI visit signals growing U.S. engagement and stronger bilateral cooperation, such expectations may further intensify Cambodia’s efforts to combat scam operations. In an interview with Bloomberg after his visit with Patel, PM Hun Manet indicated plans to strengthen oversight of its special economic zones (SEZs) following reports of scam operations existing within them. As such, companies with manufacturing facilities or operational infrastructure in Cambodia’s SEZs may face increased regulatory scrutiny and enhanced due diligence requirements. Yet, greater U.S. involvement may also provide companies with a measure of legal and regulatory protection through collaboration with authorities, mitigating compliance and reputational risks associated with supply chains linked to human trafficking and scam-related activities. Recent cooperation between Meta, Microsoft, and U.S. authorities to disrupt fraudulent accounts across the Asia-Pacific region exemplify how public-private partnerships can support such risk-mitigation efforts.
Cambodia is scheduled to host an international conference on combating cyber scams in September, which is expected to bring together ministerial-level leaders from 16 countries, senior technical officials from 14 countries, and representatives from six international organizations.
