Vietnam police bust transnational scam ring in Cambodia, arrest 59 suspects

By Pham Du October 29, 2025 | 06:38 pm PT

Police officers inspect seized evidence from scammers busted in Cambodia. Photo by Linh Dan

Vietnamese police have dismantled a massive cross-border fraud network in Cambodia, arresting 59 Vietnamese nationals accused of posing as delivery workers, police officers and soldiers to defraud more than 8,000 victims of about VND300 billion (US$12 million).

On Oct. 29, a special task force from Lai Chau Police, working with Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security’s representative office in Cambodia and the Department of Criminal Police, launched a raid at Bokor Hill in Kampot Province.

The suspects, including 15 women, had been operating from within the Bokor Ecological Park complex in Bokor City.

Investigators identified Sung Thi Mai, also known as Vi, a 26-year-old woman from Lao Cai Province, as the alleged mastermind. She reportedly managed dozens of accomplices who used fake identities to call and defraud victims across Vietnam, posing as couriers, police, soldiers or successful entrepreneurs.

The operation was carried out under the direct supervision of Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Long, Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Public Security.

Authorities said the successful bust reflects strong law-enforcement cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia, coinciding with the recent signing of the UN Convention against Cybercrime in Hanoi.

The suspects are now being processed for transfer through a border checkpoint into Vietnam, where they will face expanded investigation for large-scale online fraud.