Police detain 59 suspected scammers involved in criminal rings operating in Cambodia and Thailand
Published: 28 Apr. 2026, 17:01
Updated: 28 Apr. 2026, 17:07
![The Chungnam Provincial Police repatriate a member of a scam ring based in Cambodia and Thailand that targeted Korean victims to Korea on April 28. [CHUNGNAM PROVINCIAL POLICE]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/04/28/ae11a2cf-fba5-4509-a5dd-25493b57592f.jpg)
The Chungnam Provincial Police repatriate a member of a scam ring based in Cambodia and Thailand that targeted Korean victims to Korea on April 28. [CHUNGNAM PROVINCIAL POLICE]
The police detained of 59 alleged scammers who operated illegal bases in Cambodia and Thailand, it said Tuesday.
Two criminal rings, whose members were caught through two operations in December of last year and January of this year, swindled a combined 60 billion won ($40.8 million) from roughly 400 victims in Korea through voice phishing and romance scams, and have been forcibly repatriated and are now facing prosecution.
Investigators dispatched to the region brought the suspects back through summonses for 31 individuals and deportation orders for 22 others, and later apprehended six additional members already in Korea. The 46 suspects who were repatriated from Cambodia in October of last year were sentenced to up to 10 years in prison in a trial held on April 21.
One organization, dubbed the Song Min-ho ring by the police, was based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, with 31 members conducting voice phishing schemes by impersonating government agencies.
The “Chris ring" established a base in Mondulkiri, Cambodia, and used dating apps to lure victims into fake cryptocurrency investments, while also impersonating public institutions to induce proxy purchases and steal payments.
The Song Min-ho ring moved its bases to Thailand and Malaysia as crackdowns intensified in Cambodia and is accused of defrauding 368 victims of 51.6 billion won between February of last year and January this year.
The group created a multilayered command system, with a top boss whose identity and nationality are unknown, followed by a general manager and a deputy manager. Below the managers, members were assigned specific roles impersonating real institutions such as the Financial Supervisory Service, prosecutors, the Korea Federation of Banks and court clerks.
Most suspects confessed during police questioning that they voluntarily joined the operation, often through acquaintances or online advertisements, after accumulating heavy debts from online gambling. While they carried out the crimes, the suspects lived in housing arranged by the Phnom Penh-based ringleader, enjoying a lavish lifestyle while evading law enforcement.
![The Chungnam Provincial Police repatriates a member of a scam ring based in Cambodia and Thailand that targeted Korean victims to Korea on April 28. [CHUNGNAM PROVINCIAL POLICE]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/04/28/22b29644-6635-4441-b2b1-3f258f5de9f8.jpg)
The Chungnam Provincial Police repatriates a member of a scam ring based in Cambodia and Thailand that targeted Korean victims to Korea on April 28. [CHUNGNAM PROVINCIAL POLICE]
The Chris ring operated between August and December last year, mainly posing as women to approach victims and lure investments. Some members also impersonated public officials, requesting proxy purchases under the pretense of supplying goods to steal 2.3 billion won. The organization had around 30 members and was run under a Chinese ringleader and an overall manager, with Korean managers overseeing operations under the overall manager.
Police identified the Song Min-ho ring's activities last October and worked with local authorities to apprehend all members through international cooperation and a special task force dedicated to transnational crime.
The Chris ring was dismantled after authorities pinpointed its crime complex in Mondulkiri through cooperation with the National Intelligence Service, and all members were apprehended in a joint operation with the Cambodian police and the Korea-focused task force. Authorities also filed to freeze assets worth about 1.5 billion won.
Drug tests on the repatriated suspects returned 13 positives, leading police to tack on drug charges.
“Criminal methods are evolving into more sophisticated schemes that can completely destroy victims’ lives, such as taking out loans in their names,” a Chungnam Provincial Police Agency official stated. “We will track down and apprehend voice phishing and investment scam groups operating overseas to the very end.”
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 SHIN JIN-HO [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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