Workers from 35+ countries
Scam workers at Cambodian compounds came from at least 35 countries, spanning Asia and Africa, including a large number from Uganda.
Where this was said
Shibani Mahtani's Investigation: Who Are the Scam Workers?
At 4:08 · chapter starts 3:58
Back from the sponsor break, Shibani Mahtani takes over the narrative and describes the human landscape she encountered in Phnom Penh this spring: hundreds of former workers from at least 35 countries streaming toward embassy gates, unable to get home [1] — Shibani Mahtani "Workers from 35+ countries: Scam workers at Cambodian compounds came from at least 35 countries, spanning Asia and Africa, including a larg…" 04:08 . She interviewed dozens, finding that most were Chinese or Indonesian, but she was struck by the number of Africans — particularly Ugandans — who had been recruited into the English-language scam operations targeting Western victims. Most were cautious about sharing details, aware that the syndicates were still operating. It was through her Cambodian journalist friend and fixer Met Dara — who also drives a tuk-tuk — that she was introduced to Shoaib, a 24-year-old Ugandan man. Their first meeting at a Cambodian burger chain called Lucky Burgers was revealing: Shoaib seemed nervous at first, but once he started talking, he couldn't stop.
200,000+ scam workers released
More than 200,000 scam workers poured into the streets of Phnom Penh after the Cambodian government's crackdown on scam compounds in early 2025.
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