Tycoon Ly Yong Phat pledges full support for anti-scam campaign
Cambodian businessman and Senate member Ly Yong Phat has publicly committed his full backing to the government's efforts to wipe out online scam operations in the country, calling technology-driven fraud a grave transnational threat to citizens, legitimate enterprises, and Cambodia's standing on the world stage.
Yong Phat declared zero tolerance for online scam crimes, saying there should be no exceptions, and voiced his support for the two-day International Conference on Combating Online Scams that began in Phnom Penh on September 23 under Prime Minister Hun Manet's leadership.
The tycoon warned that these criminal operations put ordinary people at risk, damage the business climate, erode investor confidence, and tarnish Cambodia's reputation. As both a businessman and investor in the country, he said he stands ready to work alongside the government, law enforcement, and international partners to protect the public and contribute to a cleaner digital landscape.
His remarks aligned closely with a key theme in Prime Minister Manet's opening speech: that investors, property owners, recruiters, and other commercial actors share responsibility for stopping criminal networks from exploiting legitimate businesses.
"Cambodia will never be a safe haven for online scams," Manet declared. "We will not permit criminal syndicates to undermine our country's progress and the livelihoods of over 17 million Cambodian people."
The prime minister emphasised that the problem did not begin in Cambodia and does not end at its borders, but stressed that accountability must be demonstrated through firm domestic action. He outlined that modern anti-scam legislation must go after entire criminal networks — from kingpins and financiers to recruiters and property owners who knowingly facilitate their operations.
Cambodia created the Commission on Combating Online Scams under Manet's direct oversight in February 2025 and passed the Law on Combating Online Scams in April 2026. "We treat law enforcement in this area as a standing national security obligation, not a public relations exercise," Manet said.
He also announced that authorities have broken up all major scam compounds across the country, though he cautioned that criminal groups are now attempting to reorganise into smaller, more dispersed operations.
Yong Phat's public pledge carries added weight given his past pushback against Thai media reports that linked him and his businesses to cybercrime and money laundering allegations. In November 2025, he denied claims that Thai authorities had raided 36 of his properties and frozen assets worth roughly 400 million baht — approximately $12.3 million — over alleged connections to online scams.
At the time, he explained that he had run lawful casino businesses for more than two decades and that after those operations closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, he leased some buildings to third parties.
"I do not operate scam centres. I built my company with my own hands, and I have always contributed to Cambodia's growth," he said.
", "excerpt": "Cambodian tycoon and Senate member Ly Yong Phat has pledged unconditional support for the government's campaign against online scams, declaring zero tolerance for technology-enabled fraud and offering to cooperate with law enforcement and international partners.", "tags": ["Cambodia", "online scams", "Ly Yong Phat", "Hun Manet", "cybercrime", "anti-scam legislation"], "category": "Politics & Policy" } ```