Sihanoukville (Cambodia) (AFP) – Trafficked, beaten and imprisoned far from his family in China, Lu is one of a sad legion of workers lured to work in Cambodian scam hothouses swindling people with online romance and crypto investment cons. As attention on the issue has grown, Cambodian authorities have launched high-profile raids, freeing more than 1,000 foreigners from three Sihanoukville compounds last month. But international observers and rights groups are sceptical. There are fears that rather than shutting down, the groups are simply relocating.
