US sanctions Cambodian senator alleged to be behind crypto scam centers as crackdown widens

The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned a Cambodian senator accused of running "scam compounds" that have been defrauding Americans, convincing them to send crypto with promises of earning high returns.

OFAC said in a statement from Thursday that it has designated Kok An, "who controls scam compounds throughout the country," in addition to another 28 individuals and entities that are allegedly part of his network.

OFAC says Americans, lured by friendship or romantic relationships, have been robbed of millions of dollars. The fraudsters convince victims to send money in the form of crypto under the guise of legitimate investment platforms that can earn considerable returns, the agency said.

"In some cases, individuals perpetrating these scams are themselves victims of human trafficking and are forced to commit unlawful acts under threat of violence," OFAC said. "Kok An and his affiliates’ network of scam centers, operating out of casinos and office parks retrofitted for fraudulent activity, launder victims’ funds and provide a base to target U.S. citizens and commit human rights abuses with impunity."

The new sanctions also coincide with the seizure of over 500 "fraudulent web domains used to perpetuate cryptocurrency investment fraud," OFAC said.

'Scambodia'

An was mentioned alongside Chinese immigrants Xu Aimin and Chen Zhi, both of whom operate in Cambodia and are believed to be connected to the scam compounds. 

"Predominantly Chinese syndicates operating in Cambodia have grown so enormous in scale that some foreign politicians refer to the country of 18 million people as 'Scambodia,' according to the report.

Last September, OFAC sanctioned an extensive network of cyber criminals across Southeast Asia, which included targeting ten targets based in Cambodia.