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Police pursuing ringleaders, key suspects from Cambodian crime syndicates that have scammed more than $7 million

Published: 20 Jan. 2026, 15:58 Updated: 20 Jan. 2026, 19:28

Members of a phishing ring operating in Cambodia [GYEONGGI BUKBU PROVINCIAL POLICE]

Korean police have identified 157 suspects linked to two large criminal syndicates based in Cambodia that defrauded hundreds of victims out of a total of 11 billion won ($7.4 million) through fake lodging investment platforms and dating scams, authorities said Tuesday.

The two syndicates operated out of Bavet and Phnom Penh, according to Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police. Police detained 42 of the 157 suspects, referred 52 for indictment without detention and requested red notices for the remaining 63, including overseas ringleaders.

The Bavet-based group created fake travel and accommodation sharing websites to lure investors. The scammers initially paid out modest returns to the investors to gain their trust, but then vanished after their victims invested larger sums. The group allegedly stole around 4.6 billion won from 192 people using this method.

When police launched an investigation, the members fled to other countries, including Laos and Vietnam, where they allegedly continued plotting further scams while staying illegally.

The Phnom Penh-based ring, on the other hand, used websites with names like “Carrot Meeting,” spoofing the secondhand marketplace Danggeun Market, “Outcall Nation,” mimicking food delivery service Baemin and “Coupang Rocket Matching,” imitating e-commerce platform Coupang. By exploiting the credibility of these brands, the scammers tricked victims into thinking the sites offered legitimate services, including paid dating arrangements.

After collecting membership fees, the scammers engineered a fake verification process that would intentionally fail. They then accused victims of disrupting the site and demanded money for supposed repair costs, extorting around 6.4 billion won in the process.

A Cambodian National flag flutters above barbed wire set up by police near the Council of Ministers building while garment workers gather for a rally in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Dec. 30, 2013. [AP/YONHAP]

The ring rented an entire apartment building in Cambodia and operated in a corporate structure before Cambodian authorities raided the site and arrested its members in September 2025.

Most of those arrested had joined the scams after seeing ads on social media or hearing about them from acquaintances. Police said many joined the operation in hopes of quick money, often due to financial hardship or gambling debts.

Korean police plan to focus their investigation on tracking down and arresting ringleaders and key members still abroad, in close cooperation with Interpol and a governmentwide task force on transnational crime.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KO SEUNG-PYO [[email protected]]