(Phnom Penh): Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Vongsey Vissoth, also Minister in Charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers and Chairman of the ICCOS Organising Committee, on Wednesday evening (Sep. 23) hosted a gala dinner welcoming delegates, speakers, moderators and national and international guests attending the International Conference on Combating Online Scams (ICCOS 2026) in Phnom Penh.

Vongsey Vissoth expressed appreciation to all participants for sharing their expertise, experiences and perspectives throughout the first day of the conference.

ICCOS 2026 is being held from September 23-24 at the Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra under the theme “Acting Together towards Breaking the Chain and Eradication of Online Scams.”

Reflecting on the first day’s discussions, Vongsey Vissoth said participants had reached a common understanding that technology-enabled fraud and cyber fraud are complex, dangerous and borderless threats that no country can effectively tackle alone.

He said discussions focused on the scale and urgency of the challenge, regional and global responses, and ways to strengthen cooperation in information sharing, law enforcement, prevention and cyber resilience.

The permanent deputy prime minister underlined that the conference must go beyond identifying common challenges and translate shared concerns into tangible results.

“We must transform our shared concerns into concrete and effective action,” Vongsey Vissoth said.

He reaffirmed Cambodia’s zero-tolerance stance towards technology-enabled fraud, saying that under Prime Minister Hun Manet’s leadership, the government is determined to prevent Cambodia from becoming a safe haven for criminal groups involved in online scams.

Vongsey Vissoth added that Cambodia remains committed to dismantling scam networks and preventing criminal syndicates from rebuilding their capacity to conduct fraudulent operations.

Beyond the conference discussions, he said the gala dinner offered delegates an opportunity to strengthen personal and institutional ties while experiencing Cambodia’s traditional culture and arts.

“Beyond gathering together and engaging in dialogue, which enables us to better understand one another’s perspectives, this pleasant evening also provides all delegates and our international friends with an opportunity to discover and enjoy the beauty of Cambodia’s traditional culture and arts, among the oldest in Southeast Asia,” he said.

On the occasion, Vongsey Vissoth expressed hope that ICCOS 2026 would serve as a platform for building trust, unity, friendship, solidarity and lasting partnerships among participating countries and organisations.

He added that stronger partnerships and sustained cooperation would be essential to disrupting criminal networks and ultimately ending technology-enabled fraud.
=FRESH NEWS