Treasury Sanctions Cambodian Senator Kok An Over Pig-Butchering Crypto Scam Network

OFAC designated Senator Kok An and 28 associates for running scam compounds in Cambodia that used crypto fraud and human trafficking to steal millions from Americans.

The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Cambodian Senator Kok An and 28 associated individuals and entities Thursday, accusing him of using political influence and business holdings to operate and protect a network of scam compounds defrauding American citizens through cryptocurrency fraud.

The action was taken by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) under executive authority granted by a March 2026 executive order signed by President Trump directing agencies to dismantle foreign-backed fraud and cybercrime networks targeting Americans. OFAC coordinated the designations with the interagency Scam Center Strike Force, a multi-agency initiative focused on Southeast Asia.

This story is an excerpt from the Unchained Daily newsletter.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement that the administration will “continue to target fraudsters and scam centers that steal billions of dollars from hardworking Americans, no matter where they operate or how well-connected they are.”

Kok An is one of Cambodia’s wealthiest businessmen, with deep ties to former Prime Minister Hun Sen and current leader Hun Manet. His flagship company, Crown Resorts, owns casinos, resorts, and hotels across Cambodian border cities including Poipet, Sihanoukville, and Bavet.

The Treasury Department said Crown Resort properties have been converted into compounds where criminal organizations run digital asset investment fraud. Victims of human trafficking at those facilities reported being forced to run pig-butchering scams, including building fake romantic or friendship relationships with Americans and directing them to transfer savings into fraudulent investment platforms, under threat of violence if they failed to meet daily contact quotas.

The DOJ’s Scam Center Strike Force separately announced charges against two individuals for allegedly managing a scam compound in Burma and attempting to open another in Cambodia. Authorities also seized a social media messaging app used to recruit trafficking victims and 503 fraudulent web domains used in cryptocurrency investment fraud. The State Department offered a reward of up to $10 million for information on a separate Myanmar-based scam network.

The Treasury Department estimates Americans lose at least $10 billion annually to Southeast Asian scam operations.