Cambodia is collecting evidence against suspected masterminds behind large-scale cyber fraud operations, as critics argue the government’s crackdown has not reached those ultimately responsible. Chhay Sinarith, who heads a government commission on combating fraud and is Cambodia’s anti-scam minister, said legal action against masterminds, co-conspirators, owners, enablers or protectors requires time and evidence. He said cooperation with international partners had helped authorities act against some suspects, while premature disclosure could prompt others to flee. More than a dozen countries, including the US and China, attended a global anti-scam conference in Phnom Penh this week. Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries became major locations for industrial-scale scam compounds after the pandemic, with trafficked workers detained and forced to defraud people online. The US said such compounds in the region stole $10 billion from Americans in 2024. Chhay said last month that Cambodia had eradicated large-scale scam compounds after a year-long crackdown, but authorities have not released a complete list of raided sites. Analysts say large compounds remain active, while smaller decentralized operations, payment systems and money-laundering networks continue to support the industry. Authorities are also widening an investigation into the financial network of Prince Group, which the US alleges was used as a front for multibillion-dollar online fraud and money-laundering operations.