JAKARTA - A total of 1,726 Indonesian citizens who had been working at online scam centers across Cambodia have been registered by the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh as of January 21, 2026. The embassy confirmed that the returnees are in generally good health and are receiving assistance for their safety.

Indonesian Ambassador Santo Darmosumarto said, “They are not left, [they were] given protection, and hopefully, they will calm down and want to follow the process that is applied so that they can return to Indonesia.” 

The embassy also said it’s committed to supporting all citizens in need, stating, “The Indonesian government is committed to providing facilities and assistance to all Indonesian citizens in need.”

On the issue of trafficking or violence, the embassy reported, “Based on an early assessment by the Indonesian Embassy, there are no Indonesian citizens indicated as victims of human trafficking. None showed signs of physical violence.”

“The majority of Indonesian citizens expressed their desire to return to Indonesia immediately, although a small number still wanted to stay in Cambodia to seek other employment,” they added further.

Scam centres are large, secretive operations in Southeast Asia, mainly in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos, which are run by criminal networks that recruit or coerce people to commit online fraud, such as romance or investment scams. 

Workers would use fake online personas to trick victims into sending money and these centres often operate out of hotels, casinos, or special zones. 

2025’s investigation by U.S. and British authorities accused Chen Zhi, the founder and chairman of Prince Holding Group, as the alleged mastermind behind one of the largest transnational cyber‑scam networks based in Cambodia.

The Indonesian government has previously warned its citizens not to accept job offers in Cambodia, saying that the Southeast Asian country is not an official destination for Indonesian migrant workers.