A Ugandan man found via TikTok was driven five hours to a Cambodian scam compound, had his passport confiscated, and was forced to defraud Americans — one of 200,000 workers trapped in an industry worth half of Cambodia's GDP.
Up First from NPR
A Ugandan man found via TikTok was driven five hours to a Cambodian scam compound, had his passport confiscated, and was forced to defraud Americans — one of 200,000 workers trapped in an industry worth half of Cambodia's GDP.
TL;DR
Investigative reporter Shibani Mahtani enters Cambodia's emptied scam compounds and sits down with Shoaib, a 24-year-old Ugandan man trafficked there after a TikTok job ad promised $800–$1,000 a month [1] — Shoaib "A Ugandan man sick in bed was served a TikTok job ad promising $800–$1,000 a month in Cambodia. Within days, without spending a single coin…" 08:08 . Shoaib describes the three-tier scam operation — recruiters, receptionists, and "killers" — the torture room on the fifth floor, and the constant surveillance that made escape feel impossible [2] — Shoaib "On the fifth floor of the compound was an isolation room where workers who tried to escape, contact NGOs, or warn victims were tortured. Sh…" 23:38 . After five months of forced labor and psychological torment, a worker revolt finally returned his passport [3] — Shibani Mahtani "When the Cambodian crackdown made their bosses vulnerable, workers at Park 8 compound finally revolted — surrounding the Chinese bosses' qu…" 32:52 . The key takeaway: these compounds are run with corporate precision, not as scrappy criminal outfits, and victims of scams are only one side of the story.
Investigative reporter Shibani Mahtani visits emptied Cambodian scam compounds and interviews Shoaib, a 24-year-old Ugandan man trafficked there via a TikTok job ad. The episode explores the full supply chain of the global cyber scam industry — from TikTok recruitment to passport confiscation, three-tier scam hierarchies, torture rooms, and a dramatic worker revolt — framing the story from the perspective of the forced workers rather than the victims they defrauded.
The episode opens with Shibani Mahtani narrating her walk through an industrial compound outside Phnom Penh — barbed wire, CCTV towers, lookout posts, bars on dormitory windows, and mountains of trash left behind in a hasty departure [1] — Shibani Mahtani "A compound the size of Times Square, ringed with barbed wire, guard towers, and CCTV cameras — abandoned almost overnight. This is what 20,…" 00:07 . Aisha Roscoe provides the macro context: the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center found the cyber scam industry stole more than $20 billion from Americans in 2025, and in 2024 the industry's profits equaled roughly half of Cambodia's formal GDP [2] — Aisha Roscoe "The FBI reported Americans lost more than $20 billion to cyber scams in 2025. In 2024, the profits from these compounds equaled roughly hal…" 01:05 . More than 200,000 workers have poured into the streets of Phnom Penh since Cambodia's crackdown accelerated, giving reporters like Mahtani unprecedented access. The episode promises a two-part deep dive told not from the perspective of fraud victims, but from the workers who carried out the scams — a deliberately inverted vantage point that promises to illuminate how a criminal industry of this scale actually functions.
The first sponsor block features Charles Schwab's On Investing podcast, hosted by chief investment strategist Liz Ann Sonders and fixed income research head Colin Martin, available at schwab.com/oninvesting. IXL is presented as a household learning platform covering math, science, and reading with 20% off at ixl.com/NPR. Carvana then promotes its car-selling service offering real offers down to the penny with free driveway pickup at carvana.com.
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.
Shoaib's backstory is both ordinary and heartbreaking: orphaned by 18 with 10 siblings, he dropped out of school, worked his way up to become a chef, and was eventually forced to take bed rest due to debilitating stomach ulcers. Broke and idle, he was scrolling TikTok in January 2025 when a targeted ad promised $800–$1,000 a month in Cambodia — a staggering multiple of the $150–$200 he could earn in Kampala [1] — Shoaib "A Ugandan man sick in bed was served a TikTok job ad promising $800–$1,000 a month in Cambodia. Within days, without spending a single coin…" 08:08 . He dismissed it at first as an obvious scam, but the ad kept reappearing. Eventually, he figured it cost nothing to send a message. A WhatsApp number arrived immediately, and a recruiter described positions as supermarket attendant, delivery driver, or warehouse worker — all with visa, travel, food, and accommodation covered. Within days, a visa and plane ticket arrived without him spending a single coin. 'It was too good to be true,' Shoaib said — a phrase that would haunt the rest of his story.
For Shoaib, the trip to the airport in Kampala was surreal: he met 10 other Ugandans bound for the same destination, sailed through passport control with an unusually friendly official, and felt the overwhelming emotion of a first-ever flight. He took photos as the plane lifted off. The welcome in Cambodia matched the excitement: a Lexus waiting outside arrivals, a driver who took his bags and opened the car door [1] — Shoaib "Shoaib arrived at the Bavette Business Center compound after a five-hour night drive in a Lexus, welcomed by music and a festival atmospher…" 12:00 . Shoaib and one other worker were driven five hours through pitch-black, potholed roads. Then suddenly, lights, music, crowds — the compound at night looked like a rave. 'It is EDM,' Shoaib said. 'It was like a festival.' The illuminated sign read 'Bavette Business Center.' Inside, he saw dozens of nationalities — Chinese, Filipinos, Vietnamese, Pakistanis, Kenyans. The next morning, after signing a contract written in Chinese promising $850 a month, he was issued computers, VPN software, Telegram, WhatsApp, Instagram, and TikTok. Then the Chinese boss asked for his ID card — and didn't give it back.
The second sponsor block repeats the Charles Schwab On Investing promotion and the IXL 20% discount offer. BetterHelp is introduced with a reference to its 2026 State of Stigma report, which found that 85% of 2,000 surveyed Americans believe getting mental health support is wise, yet 74% say society discourages it. BetterHelp invites listeners to start therapy at betterhelp.com/NPR.
By the end of his first week, Shoaib understood what he had really been hired to do. The operation had three tiers: developers who sourced stolen data and US phone numbers from the internet; receptionists like Shoaib who made first contact with victims; and 'killers' — exclusively Chinese workers — who delivered the financial death blow [1] — Shibani Mahtani "The operation had three roles: developers who bought stolen data, receptionists like Shoaib who made first contact with victims, and 'kille…" 18:50 . As a receptionist, Shoaib was given scripts, dozens of phones with US SIM cards, and fake identities: in one scenario he was Antonella Camboni, an Italian woman in California who 'deeply valued her financial security'; in another, a 34-year-old with a dog named Toby. The task scam worked by convincing victims they had a remote marketing job — liking YouTube videos and Amazon products — with real cash payouts at first to build trust, requiring progressively larger deposits to unlock more 'work.' Once a victim made their first deposit and withdrew profits, Shoaib passed them to a killer, who convinced them to make one final, massive deposit before clearing out their account entirely [2] — Shibani Mahtani "The task scam runs on carefully crafted scripts and fake identities. Shoaib posed as an Italian woman in California, texting strangers with…" 19:50 . Each successful kill was announced with the beating of a Chinese drum. Shoaib heard killers brag about targeting retirees and people with hospitalized children.
Life inside Bavette Business Center was a controlled psychological and physical ordeal. Workers' phones were checked without warning, and anyone who sent photos, tipped off victims, or tried to contact NGOs was taken to the isolation room on the fifth floor [1] — Shoaib "On the fifth floor of the compound was an isolation room where workers who tried to escape, contact NGOs, or warn victims were tortured. Sh…" 23:38 . Shoaib's friend returned from that room with a face covered in wounds — beaten repeatedly, tied to a bed, visited and re-beaten across multiple sessions. That was the moment Shoaib knew he was in serious trouble. His original return ticket was rendered meaningless: workers who left early owed the bosses $4,000 — a sum Shoaib had never come close to possessing in his life [2] — Shibani Mahtani "Leaving before the contract ended meant owing the bosses $4,000 — a sum Shoaib had never seen in his life. The debt trap kept workers locke…" 25:15 . Month after month, his $850 salary was eroded by fines for failing to meet client quotas, the cost of food (the cafeteria served pork he couldn't eat as a Muslim, so he bought from the company-run supermarket), and other arbitrary deductions. He worked 10 PM to 10 AM, nocturnal shifts to match American time zones. Sleep became impossible: he bought sleeping pills, took two every night, but eventually they only gave him two hours of rest. The guilt compounded everything — he couldn't tell his family the truth, and his prayers gradually shifted from hope to a quiet wish that the people he was defrauding would take their winnings and not come back.
Stepping back from Shoaib's individual story, Shibani Mahtani maps the full organizational structure of the scam industry — and it looks nothing like a jungle mafia [1] — Shibani Mahtani "These aren't improvised criminal outfits. Scam compounds have team leaders, managers, department heads, HR, PR, external recruiters, driver…" 29:00 . Inside a compound, frontline scammers like Shoaib report to team leaders, who report to managers, who report to department heads. There's a dedicated HR department managing recruitment and an external PR division that places the fake job ads. Outside the walls, the operation is equally elaborate: drivers who transport trafficked migrants, fruit and drink vendors who cluster around compound perimeters hoping for business, security guards who maintain the perimeter. Most significantly, the land is owned by tycoons with close ties to the Cambodian government. These landlords, Mahtani's sources say, maintain direct relationships with local police — tipping them off before any raids and ensuring the compounds stay protected. It is this political-criminal symbiosis that allowed the industry to grow, largely undisturbed, for years.
The geopolitical dominoes began falling in mid-2025 when Thailand launched attacks on Cambodia targeting scam compounds, with Thai social media coining the term 'Scambodia.' The decisive moment came in January 2025 when Chen Zhe — a Chinese-Cambodian tycoon who ran one of the country's biggest scam conglomerates and served as an advisor to the Cambodian prime minister — was arrested and extradited to China following a US criminal indictment, famously placed on a plane with a bag over his head [1] — Shibani Mahtani "Chen Zhe was considered untouchable — a Chinese-Cambodian kingpin who ran one of the biggest scam conglomerates in Cambodia and advised the…" 31:45 . The man everyone believed was untouchable had fallen, and scam bosses across Cambodia panicked. Shoaib was moved again — this time to a compound called Park 8. But this time, he and the other workers had phones and social media access, and they could see what was happening. Their bosses were vulnerable. In late January, workers at Park 8 surrounded the Chinese bosses' accommodations carrying sticks and stones, demanding their passports. The cornered bosses relented: leave now or come to the next compound — but leave without any help. Shoaib chose freedom. He was called one by one, handed his passport, and immediately flagged down a car on the street. He paid a driver $150 to take him to Phnom Penh, and on February 1st of 2025, drove away into the darkness, unsure of what came next [2] — Shibani Mahtani "When the Cambodian crackdown made their bosses vulnerable, workers at Park 8 compound finally revolted — surrounding the Chinese bosses' qu…" 32:52 .
Aisha Roscoe closes Part 1 with a brief teaser: getting into Cambodia was easy, but getting out would prove far harder — a promise that Part 2 will follow Shoaib's next chapter on the streets of Phnom Penh with Shibani Mahtani. The closing sponsor segment features Middie Health, a virtual care platform focused on perimenopause and menopause, with co-founders Joanna Strober and Dr. Kathleen Jordan discussing the mission to destigmatize women's midlife health and make care accessible via telehealth at joinmiddie.com.
Chapter 1 · 00:00
The episode opens with Shibani Mahtani narrating her walk through an industrial compound outside Phnom Penh — barbed wire, CCTV towers, lookout posts, bars on dormitory windows, and mountains of trash left behind in a hasty departure [1] — Shibani Mahtani "A compound the size of Times Square, ringed with barbed wire, guard towers, and CCTV cameras — abandoned almost overnight. This is what 20,…" 00:07 . Aisha Roscoe provides the macro context: the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center found the cyber scam industry stole more than $20 billion from Americans in 2025, and in 2024 the industry's profits equaled roughly half of Cambodia's formal GDP [2] — Aisha Roscoe "The FBI reported Americans lost more than $20 billion to cyber scams in 2025. In 2024, the profits from these compounds equaled roughly hal…" 01:05 . More than 200,000 workers have poured into the streets of Phnom Penh since Cambodia's crackdown accelerated, giving reporters like Mahtani unprecedented access. The episode promises a two-part deep dive told not from the perspective of fraud victims, but from the workers who carried out the scams — a deliberately inverted vantage point that promises to illuminate how a criminal industry of this scale actually functions.
A compound the size of Times Square, ringed with barbed wire, guard towers, and CCTV cameras — abandoned almost overnight. This is what 20,000 forced workers left behind when Cambodia's crackdown began.
The FBI reported Americans lost more than $20 billion to cyber scams in 2025. In 2024, the profits from these compounds equaled roughly half of Cambodia's entire formal GDP — a staggering measure of how entrenched the industry had become.
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center reported that the cyber scam industry defrauded Americans of more than $20 billion in 2025 alone.
In 2024, experts estimated that profits from the cyber scamming industry were equivalent to roughly half of Cambodia's formal GDP.
Chapter 3 · 03:58
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.
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.
Scam workers at Cambodian compounds came from at least 35 countries, spanning Asia and Africa, including a large number from Uganda.
Chapter 4 · 07:47
Shoaib's backstory is both ordinary and heartbreaking: orphaned by 18 with 10 siblings, he dropped out of school, worked his way up to become a chef, and was eventually forced to take bed rest due to debilitating stomach ulcers. Broke and idle, he was scrolling TikTok in January 2025 when a targeted ad promised $800–$1,000 a month in Cambodia — a staggering multiple of the $150–$200 he could earn in Kampala [1] — Shoaib "A Ugandan man sick in bed was served a TikTok job ad promising $800–$1,000 a month in Cambodia. Within days, without spending a single coin…" 08:08 . He dismissed it at first as an obvious scam, but the ad kept reappearing. Eventually, he figured it cost nothing to send a message. A WhatsApp number arrived immediately, and a recruiter described positions as supermarket attendant, delivery driver, or warehouse worker — all with visa, travel, food, and accommodation covered. Within days, a visa and plane ticket arrived without him spending a single coin. 'It was too good to be true,' Shoaib said — a phrase that would haunt the rest of his story.
A Ugandan man sick in bed was served a TikTok job ad promising $800–$1,000 a month in Cambodia. Within days, without spending a single coin, he had a visa, a plane ticket, and a one-way trip into a scam compound.
Shoaib was targeted by a sponsored TikTok ad promising $800 to $1,000 a month for work in Cambodia, versus the $150–$200 he could earn at home in Kampala.
Chapter 5 · 12:00
For Shoaib, the trip to the airport in Kampala was surreal: he met 10 other Ugandans bound for the same destination, sailed through passport control with an unusually friendly official, and felt the overwhelming emotion of a first-ever flight. He took photos as the plane lifted off. The welcome in Cambodia matched the excitement: a Lexus waiting outside arrivals, a driver who took his bags and opened the car door [1] — Shoaib "Shoaib arrived at the Bavette Business Center compound after a five-hour night drive in a Lexus, welcomed by music and a festival atmospher…" 12:00 . Shoaib and one other worker were driven five hours through pitch-black, potholed roads. Then suddenly, lights, music, crowds — the compound at night looked like a rave. 'It is EDM,' Shoaib said. 'It was like a festival.' The illuminated sign read 'Bavette Business Center.' Inside, he saw dozens of nationalities — Chinese, Filipinos, Vietnamese, Pakistanis, Kenyans. The next morning, after signing a contract written in Chinese promising $850 a month, he was issued computers, VPN software, Telegram, WhatsApp, Instagram, and TikTok. Then the Chinese boss asked for his ID card — and didn't give it back.
Shoaib arrived at the Bavette Business Center compound after a five-hour night drive in a Lexus, welcomed by music and a festival atmosphere. Within 24 hours, the bosses had taken his passport.
After arriving at Phnom Penh airport, Shoaib was driven for five hours at night through potholed and deserted roads to reach the remote scam compound.
Chapter 6 · 15:00
The second sponsor block repeats the Charles Schwab On Investing promotion and the IXL 20% discount offer. BetterHelp is introduced with a reference to its 2026 State of Stigma report, which found that 85% of 2,000 surveyed Americans believe getting mental health support is wise, yet 74% say society discourages it. BetterHelp invites listeners to start therapy at betterhelp.com/NPR.
Shoaib was issued approximately 40 phones loaded with US SIM cards within his first week at the scam compound, revealing the scale of the operation.
Chapter 7 · 18:03
By the end of his first week, Shoaib understood what he had really been hired to do. The operation had three tiers: developers who sourced stolen data and US phone numbers from the internet; receptionists like Shoaib who made first contact with victims; and 'killers' — exclusively Chinese workers — who delivered the financial death blow [1] — Shibani Mahtani "The operation had three roles: developers who bought stolen data, receptionists like Shoaib who made first contact with victims, and 'kille…" 18:50 . As a receptionist, Shoaib was given scripts, dozens of phones with US SIM cards, and fake identities: in one scenario he was Antonella Camboni, an Italian woman in California who 'deeply valued her financial security'; in another, a 34-year-old with a dog named Toby. The task scam worked by convincing victims they had a remote marketing job — liking YouTube videos and Amazon products — with real cash payouts at first to build trust, requiring progressively larger deposits to unlock more 'work.' Once a victim made their first deposit and withdrew profits, Shoaib passed them to a killer, who convinced them to make one final, massive deposit before clearing out their account entirely [2] — Shibani Mahtani "The task scam runs on carefully crafted scripts and fake identities. Shoaib posed as an Italian woman in California, texting strangers with…" 19:50 . Each successful kill was announced with the beating of a Chinese drum. Shoaib heard killers brag about targeting retirees and people with hospitalized children.
The operation had three roles: developers who bought stolen data, receptionists like Shoaib who made first contact with victims, and 'killers' — the Chinese bosses who delivered the final blow and emptied wallets. After each kill, they beat a drum.
The task scam runs on carefully crafted scripts and fake identities. Shoaib posed as an Italian woman in California, texting strangers with a remote marketing job offer. Victims were paid real cash at first so they'd trust the scheme and deposit more — until a 'killer' emptied their wallet.
Chapter 8 · 23:10
Life inside Bavette Business Center was a controlled psychological and physical ordeal. Workers' phones were checked without warning, and anyone who sent photos, tipped off victims, or tried to contact NGOs was taken to the isolation room on the fifth floor [1] — Shoaib "On the fifth floor of the compound was an isolation room where workers who tried to escape, contact NGOs, or warn victims were tortured. Sh…" 23:38 . Shoaib's friend returned from that room with a face covered in wounds — beaten repeatedly, tied to a bed, visited and re-beaten across multiple sessions. That was the moment Shoaib knew he was in serious trouble. His original return ticket was rendered meaningless: workers who left early owed the bosses $4,000 — a sum Shoaib had never come close to possessing in his life [2] — Shibani Mahtani "Leaving before the contract ended meant owing the bosses $4,000 — a sum Shoaib had never seen in his life. The debt trap kept workers locke…" 25:15 . Month after month, his $850 salary was eroded by fines for failing to meet client quotas, the cost of food (the cafeteria served pork he couldn't eat as a Muslim, so he bought from the company-run supermarket), and other arbitrary deductions. He worked 10 PM to 10 AM, nocturnal shifts to match American time zones. Sleep became impossible: he bought sleeping pills, took two every night, but eventually they only gave him two hours of rest. The guilt compounded everything — he couldn't tell his family the truth, and his prayers gradually shifted from hope to a quiet wish that the people he was defrauding would take their winnings and not come back.
On the fifth floor of the compound was an isolation room where workers who tried to escape, contact NGOs, or warn victims were tortured. Shoaib's friend returned covered in wounds. That was when Shoaib knew there was no easy way out.
Leaving before the contract ended meant owing the bosses $4,000 — a sum Shoaib had never seen in his life. The debt trap kept workers locked in as effectively as the barbed wire and confiscated passports.
Workers at the compound were told that leaving before their contract ended would result in owing the bosses approximately $4,000 — a sum Shoaib had never possessed.
Scam workers like Shoaib were forced to work 10 PM to 10 AM on a nocturnal schedule to align with the time zones of their American targets.
Shoaib's sleep deprivation became so severe he was taking sleeping pills nightly, but eventually even two pills only gave him two hours of sleep.
Shoaib started his journey praying for success. By the end, he was praying that the victims he'd lured would withdraw their money and not come back — the only mercy he could offer from inside the compound.
Chapter 9 · 29:00
Stepping back from Shoaib's individual story, Shibani Mahtani maps the full organizational structure of the scam industry — and it looks nothing like a jungle mafia [1] — Shibani Mahtani "These aren't improvised criminal outfits. Scam compounds have team leaders, managers, department heads, HR, PR, external recruiters, driver…" 29:00 . Inside a compound, frontline scammers like Shoaib report to team leaders, who report to managers, who report to department heads. There's a dedicated HR department managing recruitment and an external PR division that places the fake job ads. Outside the walls, the operation is equally elaborate: drivers who transport trafficked migrants, fruit and drink vendors who cluster around compound perimeters hoping for business, security guards who maintain the perimeter. Most significantly, the land is owned by tycoons with close ties to the Cambodian government. These landlords, Mahtani's sources say, maintain direct relationships with local police — tipping them off before any raids and ensuring the compounds stay protected. It is this political-criminal symbiosis that allowed the industry to grow, largely undisturbed, for years.
These aren't improvised criminal outfits. Scam compounds have team leaders, managers, department heads, HR, PR, external recruiters, drivers, and land owned by tycoons with ties to the Cambodian government. The landlords maintain relationships with police to tip them off before raids.
Chapter 10 · 31:40
The geopolitical dominoes began falling in mid-2025 when Thailand launched attacks on Cambodia targeting scam compounds, with Thai social media coining the term 'Scambodia.' The decisive moment came in January 2025 when Chen Zhe — a Chinese-Cambodian tycoon who ran one of the country's biggest scam conglomerates and served as an advisor to the Cambodian prime minister — was arrested and extradited to China following a US criminal indictment, famously placed on a plane with a bag over his head [1] — Shibani Mahtani "Chen Zhe was considered untouchable — a Chinese-Cambodian kingpin who ran one of the biggest scam conglomerates in Cambodia and advised the…" 31:45 . The man everyone believed was untouchable had fallen, and scam bosses across Cambodia panicked. Shoaib was moved again — this time to a compound called Park 8. But this time, he and the other workers had phones and social media access, and they could see what was happening. Their bosses were vulnerable. In late January, workers at Park 8 surrounded the Chinese bosses' accommodations carrying sticks and stones, demanding their passports. The cornered bosses relented: leave now or come to the next compound — but leave without any help. Shoaib chose freedom. He was called one by one, handed his passport, and immediately flagged down a car on the street. He paid a driver $150 to take him to Phnom Penh, and on February 1st of 2025, drove away into the darkness, unsure of what came next [2] — Shibani Mahtani "When the Cambodian crackdown made their bosses vulnerable, workers at Park 8 compound finally revolted — surrounding the Chinese bosses' qu…" 32:52 .
Chen Zhe was considered untouchable — a Chinese-Cambodian kingpin who ran one of the biggest scam conglomerates in Cambodia and advised the country's prime minister. When he was arrested, put on a plane with a bag over his head, and extradited to China, the entire industry panicked.
Chinese-Cambodian kingpin Chen Zhe, an advisor to the Cambodian prime minister and operator of forced labor scam compounds, was extradited to China in January 2025 after a US criminal indictment.
When the Cambodian crackdown made their bosses vulnerable, workers at Park 8 compound finally revolted — surrounding the Chinese bosses' quarters with sticks and stones, demanding their passports back. The bosses gave them a choice: leave or go to the next compound. Shoaib took his chance.
After the worker revolt returned his passport, Shoaib paid about $150 for a private driver to take him from the compound to Phnom Penh.
No indexed bits in this chapter.
On the fifth floor of the compound was an isolation room where workers who tried to escape, contact NGOs, or warn victims were tortured. Shoaib's friend returned covered in wounds. That was when Shoaib knew there was no easy way out.
A Ugandan man sick in bed was served a TikTok job ad promising $800–$1,000 a month in Cambodia. Within days, without spending a single coin, he had a visa, a plane ticket, and a one-way trip into a scam compound.
The operation had three roles: developers who bought stolen data, receptionists like Shoaib who made first contact with victims, and 'killers' — the Chinese bosses who delivered the final blow and emptied wallets. After each kill, they beat a drum.
This episode
Factual claims made this episode, and whether a source was named.
The cyber scam industry defrauded Americans of more than $20 billion in 2025.
In 2024, profits from the cyber scamming industry were equivalent to roughly half of Cambodia's formal GDP.
More than 200,000 scam workers were released from compounds in Cambodia following the government crackdown.
Scam workers in Cambodian compounds came from at least 35 countries.
Crime syndicates have heavily recruited workers from English-speaking African countries like Ghana, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone to scam Western targets.
In Kampala, Uganda, workers like Shoaib could only earn about $150 to $200 per month.
Shoaib was issued approximately 40 phones with US SIM cards within his first week at the scam compound.
Workers who left a scam compound before completing their contract would owe the bosses approximately $4,000.
Workers were fined for being on the phone too long, briefly clicking out of the scam chat window during their 12-hour workday, and even for wanting to sit near a window.
Shoaib worked a nocturnal 12-hour shift from 10 PM to 10 AM to match American time zones.
Chen Zhe, a Chinese-Cambodian scam kingpin and advisor to the Cambodian prime minister, was extradited to China in January 2025 following a US criminal indictment.
Torture and abuse of workers in scam compounds is well documented in NGO reports and US government reports.
This episode
Chinese-Cambodian scam kingpin and advisor to the Cambodian prime minister who was extradited to China in January 2025 after a US criminal indictment, triggering an industry-wide panic.
Cambodian journalist and tuk-tuk driver based in Phnom Penh who introduced Shibani Mahtani to Shoaib and facilitated her reporting on the scam industry.
The name of the scam compound where Shoaib was first held upon arriving in Cambodia, presented as a legitimate business operation.
Cited as the source for the statistic that the cyber scam industry defrauded Americans of more than $20 billion in 2025.
Platform used by traffickers to place targeted job ads recruiting workers like Shoaib into Cambodian scam compounds.
Used by scam recruiters to continue conversations with recruits after initial TikTok contact, and issued to workers as part of their scamming toolkit.
The primary setting of the episode and global hub of the forced-labor cyber scam industry, subject to a government crackdown in early 2025.
Cambodia's capital city, where scam workers flooded the streets after being released from compounds following the government crackdown.
Home country of Shoaib and many other scam workers Shibani Mahtani interviewed in Phnom Penh, targeted by scam recruiters due to English-language skills.
Capital of Uganda and Shoaib's home city, where average wages of $150–$200 per month made the scam recruiter's offer of $1,000 seem transformative.
Launched attacks on Cambodia in July 2025, with Thai officials claiming they were targeting scam compounds and human trafficking centers.
The second scam compound Shoaib was moved to after his bosses grew nervous about the Cambodian government crackdown, and where the worker revolt ultimately took place.
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