A sprawling compound on the Thai-Cambodian border, used by criminal gangs to run industrial-scale fraud schemes, has been exposed after being seized by the Thai military. The site in O’Smach, Cambodia, contains mock-up banks, police stations and even fake uniforms, all designed to trick victims across Asia, Australia and South America.
The Guardian was given access to the compound, which was bombed and captured by Thai forces during border clashes last year. Inside, rooms are set up to resemble branches of Vietnam's OCB bank, as well as police offices from Australia, Singapore and China. Scripts and props were left behind, including fake $100 notes, business cards and promotional leaflets.
The operation appears highly organised, with noise-cancelling foam in rooms filled with desks for 30 people. Whiteboards track workers' targets, with notes such as 'No money, already took 279k' next to a victim's name. A notebook targeting Brazilian victims records daily updates, including a November entry stating: 'For today there is no customer who will transfer the money to us.'
Documents found at the site provide tips on luring victims, including through romance scams. One guide advises scammers to 'create a touching family story' and 'create a sense of fantasy by using phrases like future plans'. A multiple-choice quiz asks workers to identify the ideal target: male, North American, aged 40-65.
Cambodia has faced mounting international pressure over scam centres, which generate an estimated $12.5bn annually—half the country's formal GDP. In October, the UK and US sanctioned alleged scamming kingpin Chen Zhi, who was extradited to China in January. Cambodia has pledged to eliminate scamming by the end of April and says it has closed 200 sites.
Thailand's retention of the area has sparked protests from Cambodia, which accuses its neighbour of using 'so-called scam centre concerns as a pretext for actions that undermine Cambodia's territorial sovereignty'. The buildings remain pockmarked with bullet holes, littered with debris and abandoned belongings.
