The US Treasury Department has accused Kok An and associates of using political influence to protect a network of fraud centers.
Published on 23 April 2026
The United States Department of the Treasury has announced sanctions against Cambodian senator Kok An, accusing the politician of using his influence and connections to protect a network of scam operators.
The department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Thursday said it will take action against 28 individuals and entities belonging to Ann and her network, who are accused of luring US citizens into giving away large amounts of money through fraudulent schemes.
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“Luring the promise of friendship or romantic relationships, these fraudsters persuade vulnerable Americans to transfer their savings as digital assets by promising investment opportunities and high returns, only to steal the funds outright,” the department said in a statement.
Scams have spread across Southeast Asia since the COVID-19 pandemic struck in early 2020, when entertainment centers such as casinos struggled to operate amid a decline in tourism.
Some people shifted to online operations and digital schemes to defraud people around the world.
Human rights experts have also pointed to the practice of scams luring workers across international borders and forcing them to work as fraudsters in isolated premises.
The United Nations estimates that as many as 300,000 people across the region may be trapped in the industry, some without their consent.
In Thursday’s announcement, the Justice Department described how some victims are lured to Thailand with the prospect of work, then trafficked across the border into Myanmar or Cambodia.
The US Treasury accused Coke N of operating fraud centers out of casinos and office parks “retrofited for fraudulent activity”.
Cambodia’s parliament recently passed a law to help combat cyber scams amid growing pressure to crack down on illegal networks.
However, some scam enterprises are believed to have ties to powerful figures in politics and business.
However, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said there would be no “impunity” for such fraudsters.
“Fraudsters who target Americans from abroad believe they cannot be reached,” Pirro said in a statement. He promised that his team was “working to ensure that these criminals cannot operate with impunity, no matter where they live in the world”.
The US earlier in September announced sanctions targeting 20 companies and businesses accused of facilitating scam centers in countries such as Cambodia and Myanmar.
“Eliminating fraud is a top priority for the Trump administration,” Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said in a statement Thursday.
“Treasury will continue to target the fraudsters and scam centers who steal billions of dollars from hardworking Americans, no matter where they work or how well-connected they are.”
