Treasury Sanctions Cambodian Senator Kok An and Scam Center Network Defrauding Americans

WASHINGTON—Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Kok An—a Cambodian senator who controls scam compounds throughout the country—as well as 28 individuals and entities in his network. Southeast Asian scam operators within this network have stolen millions of dollars from U.S. victims while operating under the protection of Kok An and his political connections. Using the lure of friendship or romantic relationships, these fraudsters coax vulnerable Americans into transferring their savings in the form of digital assets by promising investment opportunities and high returns, only to steal the funds outright. In some cases, individuals perpetrating these scams are themselves victims of human trafficking and are forced to commit unlawful acts under threat of violence. Kok An and his affiliates’ network of scam centers, operating out of casinos and office parks retrofitted for fraudulent activity, launder victims’ funds and provide a base to target U.S.