meta_id 3092228

On April 23, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Cambodian Senator Kok An and 28 individuals and entities within his scam center network as blocked persons under Executive Order 13694, as amended. The action targets a criminal enterprise operating across Cambodia, Burma, and Laos that has defrauded millions of dollars from American victims through digital asset investment fraud schemes. Kok An controls numerous scam compounds throughout Cambodia, primarily operating from casinos and office parks retrofitted for fraudulent activity. His flagship hospitality company, Crown Resorts, owns properties in Poipet, Sihanoukville, Bavet, and other Cambodian cities that have been converted into compounds housing criminal organizations conducting digital asset investment fraud. The network employs romance and friendship scams to coerce vulnerable Americans into transferring savings in digital assets by promising high investment returns, only to steal the funds. Many individuals perpetrating these scams are themselves trafficking victims forced to commit unlawful acts under threat of violence. OFAC also designated Kok An's business conglomerate, Anco Brothers Co Ltd, and multiple companies owned by his associates, including Rithy Raksmei, Aik Paung, and Sai Aung Linn, who operate additional scam compounds and provide infrastructure supporting cyber-enabled fraud. The Treasury estimates Americans lost at least $10 billion in 2024 to Southeast Asia-based scam operations, representing a 66 percent increase over the prior year. This action coordinates with the Scam Center Strike Force, involving the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, Department of Justice Criminal Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Secret Service. Concurrent enforcement actions include criminal charges against two individuals, seizure of a social media messaging app used for human trafficking recruitment, and seizure of 503 fraudulent web domains. All property and interests in property of designated persons within the United States or controlled by U.S. persons are blocked, and violations of these sanctions may result in civil or criminal penalties.