United News of Bangladesh

A visit to the O'Smach Resort on the Thailand-Cambodia border highlights the staggering scale of Southeast Asia’s growing scam industry. Thailand’s military, which led a media tour of the complex on Tuesday, said the site covers about 197 acres roughly 150 American football fields. While scam centers in the region are not new, this one dwarfs others in size and sophistication. The pandemic fueled a boom in such operations, where workers use elaborate online schemes to target victims worldwide. The U.N. Office of Human Rights estimates around 300,000 people are involved in the industry across the region. The O'Smach Resort, seized by Thailand in December amid border tensions, was reportedly owned by Cambodian politician Ly Yong Phat, who faces U.S. sanctions for human rights abuses at the same site. The military noted ongoing construction across the sprawling compound, which contains 157 buildings, including 29 scam offices, dormitories, and luxury accommodations. Officials estimate at least 10,000 people live there. Inside one four-story office, FBI data suggests workers targeted Americans, who lost nearly $21 billion to scams in 2025. Desks were scattered with Chinese-language scripts, notes, and American SIM cards. One script detailed a character named Mila, with a backstory crafted to lure victims into gold trading scams. The complex also includes Chinese restaurants offering regional cuisines, catering to staff from different parts of China. “Every country of the world has to join together to solve this problem; we cannot do it alone with Cambodia and Thailand,” said Air Chief Marshal Prapas Sornchaidee, who led the tour. The O'Smach visit underscores that tackling scam operations is a regional and global challenge, demanding coordinated action.