After the COVID-19 pandemic, fraud crimes have significantly increased, especially the scam incidents in Cambodia have drawn attention. The police remind the public at the airport to be cautious of overseas work scams. The Criminal Investigation Bureau pointed out that since the Level 3 alert in 2021, the number of fraud cases has sharply risen. As people stayed home due to the pandemic and used the internet frequently, fraud groups took advantage of various online platforms to commit scams. Moreover, the desperation of the unemployed for online investments has led to a proliferation of fake investment scams, with young people being lured to work overseas, and even becoming victims of human trafficking. To raise public awareness, the National Police Agency launched an anti-fraud dashboard last September, showing around 600 fraud cases reported daily, with financial losses reaching billions of dollars. According to the latest data, the number of fraud cases in January and February this year has decreased to about 400 cases per day, with average financial losses reduced to 260 million dollars.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, fraud crimes have increased dramatically, especially with the occurrence of the "Cambodian Chaos." The police at the airport hold signs to remind the public to be aware of overseas job scams.
The number of domestic fraud cases has risen year by year. The Criminal Investigation Bureau indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic was a turning point. After issuing a Level 3 alert in 2021, fraud cases began to surge, particularly incidents where the public was treated as "pigs" for human trafficking reached a peak.
Due to a significant gap between statistical data and actual victims, the National Police Agency reformed the criminal case recording system last September. Through the "Anti-Fraud Dashboard" website, daily numbers of fraud cases and financial losses are published, shocking the public into realizing that each year, thousands of billions are falling into the hands of fraud groups.
Analysis indicates that during the pandemic, as people spent long periods at home and relied more on the internet, online transactions became frequent. Fraud groups also utilized online shopping platforms, social media, dating apps, and mobile SMS to carry out scams.
At the same time, the pandemic led to many people being unemployed, eager to earn income through online investments, coupled with the rise of virtual currencies, which made fake investment scams rampant.
Fraud groups exploit the psychology of unemployed young people, enticing them to work in overseas scam zones, and even selling them to different scam gangs, which led to the Cambodian turmoil.
The police not only promote and hold signs to dissuade at the airport but also need to find ways to rescue trapped individuals, facing a heavy workload.
To raise public awareness about the dangers of fraud, the National Police Agency announced last September that the Anti-Fraud Dashboard showed an average of 600 fraud cases occurring daily nationwide, with average daily financial losses of about 400 million. It is estimated that the total annual fraud losses could reach thousands of billions.
By January and February of this year, the number of fraud cases has decreased to 400 per day, with average daily financial losses dropping to 260 million.
