The United States has imposed financial restrictions on a prominent Cambodian lawmaker and businessman, accusing him of orchestrating large-scale scam operations that exploited victims worldwide.
Kok An, a senator with the ruling Cambodian People’s Party and a close adviser to former leader Hun Sen, was hit with U.S. Treasury sanctions on April 23. The move also targeted 28 other individuals and entities linked to him, including two financial institutions.
According to the Treasury Department, Kok An controlled casinos, resorts, and other properties across Cambodia that housed fraudulent schemes. These operations, often run under coercion, tricked victims—many from the United States—into handing over their savings through fake romantic relationships or investment promises.
“These fraudsters lure vulnerable Americans into transferring their savings in digital assets, promising high returns, only to steal the funds outright,” the Treasury stated. It added that some workers in these compounds were themselves victims of human trafficking, forced to commit crimes under threat of violence.
The agency alleged that Kok An provided services and security personnel to these compounds through his conglomerate, Anco Brothers Co Ltd., which also held licenses for the casinos operating on the properties. It noted that nearly all major scam centers in Cambodia are tied to casinos, which launder the illicit proceeds.
Kok An did not respond to requests for comment. A representative at Anco Brothers’ headquarters declined to speak on the matter. Cambodian corporate records show Kok An stepped down as chairman of the company in January.
Cambodia has increasingly become a hub for Asian organized crime under the rule of the Hun family. Hun Sen was prime minister from 1985 to 2023, handing power to his son, Hun Manet. The government last year launched a crackdown on scam centers, which Hun Manet said would conclude this month. In March, authorities raided 200 such centers, repatriating nearly 10,000 foreign workers and launching 79 legal cases against hundreds of syndicate leaders and associates.
However, critics argue these efforts are insufficient. Seng Vanly, advocacy program director at the Khmer Democracy Organisation, said the sanctions on Kok An reveal the government’s failure to address the role of local elites in these crimes.
“This shatters the government’s claim that fraud is solely the work of foreign syndicates without local involvement,” Seng Vanly said. “Hun Manet’s administration must strip Kok An of his parliamentary immunity and launch a transparent, independent investigation.”
Cambodia’s Interior Ministry spokesman, Touch Sokhak, declined to comment on specific actions against Kok An, stating only that authorities continue to investigate technology-based fraud in line with policy.
Also sanctioned was Rithy Raksmei, a politically connected business figure and alleged associate of Kok An, along with several of his companies. The Treasury said Raksmei used his political connections to expand his business, build more casinos, and avoid legal consequences for providing spaces for scams and human trafficking.
Reporters were unable to reach Raksmei for comment.