Cambodia’s recent decision to revoke the operating license of Huione Pay, a subsidiary of the influential Huione Group, has sent ripples across Southeast Asia, but for Indonesia, it’s a troubling reminder of how deeply entrenched regional scam syndicates have become. As reported by Rest of World, Huione Pay has been linked to a Telegram-based marketplace called Huione Guarantee, which processed at least €22bn in illicit transactions between 2021 and 2024, according to blockchain forensics firm Elliptic.

The platform allegedly facilitated payments for everything from online gambling and scam tools to identity documents, tools crucial to the modern scam economy built on human exploitation. Human rights organisations and law enforcement officials have repeatedly flagged these operations as being powered by trafficked labour, including a significant number of Indonesians.

Indonesians trapped and trafficked: An ongoing crisis

According to Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hundreds of Indonesian citizens have been lured abroad by false job offers since 2022, then trafficked into online scam operations in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos. CNN Indonesia in March 2024 reported that three Indonesians were rescued during a January 2024 raid on a scam compound in Poipet, Cambodia, which freed over 200 foreign nationals.

Victims described having their passports confiscated and being coerced into working long hours scamming people online using manipulative tactics like the “pig butchering” scheme, targeting emotional and romantic vulnerabilities to defraud victims. Al Jazeera in June 2023 previously confirmed similar testimonies in a wide-reaching investigation into cyber slavery, with Indonesians among the most frequently targeted nationals, alongside Filipinos and Thais.

Despite joint task forces and bilateral pledges, such as those made during a 2024 Indonesia–Cambodia ministerial meeting covered by The Jakarta Post, survivors and NGOs report a frustrating lack of legal recourse or compensation once they are repatriated.

Behind Huione: Power, protection, and a global warning

Central to the Huione controversy is Hun To, a director of Huione Pay and cousin of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. According to The Diplomat, Hun To’s political ties raise serious concerns about the Cambodian government’s willingness to investigate the top-level actors behind scam compounds. Critics say the revocation of Huione Pay’s licence in Cambodia, first reported by Khmer Times, is likely a symbolic move to deflect international scrutiny rather than a genuine dismantling of the infrastructure.

Elliptic’s findings, shared widely by Wired, VICE, and SCMP, indicate that even after the crackdown, Huione Pay has submitted new licence applications in Japan and Canada, suggesting the company is attempting to rebrand and expand abroad while evading scrutiny in Cambodia.

For Indonesian stakeholders, this reinforces a pattern of political protectionism and transnational impunity, leaving trafficked citizens and their families to suffer without justice.

A shadow economy fueled by human suffering

The US Institute of Peace estimates the scam economy contributes up to $11bn annually to Cambodia’s GDP, roughly a quarter of the nation’s total economy, a figure supported by The Guardian’s June 2024 exposé on the rise of cybercrime as a de facto industry in post-COVID Cambodia.

When Cambodian authorities began tightening restrictions on physical casinos in 2020, criminal syndicates reportedly pivoted toward online scams. Payment apps like Huione Pay, unregulated and opaque, became key tools in moving illicit funds. Rest of World noted that such platforms helped obscure the origins of criminal money, offering a lifeline to scam operators facing pressure from international law enforcement.

Efforts by Cambodia’s new multi-agency task force to combat cyber trafficking have done little to instill confidence. As VOA Cambodia and Radio Free Asia reported, the arrests have largely focused on low-level compound managers and guards, while politically connected figures remain untouched.

“If Cambodia were serious, they’d arrest the directors of Huione. But they’re family,” said Jacob Sims, founder of the anti-trafficking NGO Shamrock, in an interview with Rest of World.

Indonesia’s path forward: Regional action, domestic awareness

Indonesia now faces a dual challenge: navigating regional diplomacy while urgently protecting its citizens. In June 2024, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi urged ASEAN to take a stronger stance during a special summit in Laos, as reported by Kompas. However, no unified framework for anti-scam coordination has materialised.

Experts interviewed by BenarNews and Channel News Asia have proposed a range of solutions, from establishing a Southeast Asian “Red Notice” system for scam syndicate leaders, to bolstering community awareness campaigns in trafficking-prone regions like West Nusa Tenggara, East Java and North Sumatra.

Grassroots organisations such as Migrant CARE and SBMI (Serikat Buruh Migran Indonesia) have also played an active role in supporting survivors and advocating for transparency and accountability in cross-border recruitment practices. Their joint report, published in May 2025, highlights systemic gaps in vetting outbound job seekers and called for tighter oversight on international labour brokers.

Huione is a wake-up call

The Huione case represents more than just a scandal, it is a stark warning about the intersection of digital finance, authoritarian power, and human trafficking. For Indonesia, the cost is measured not only in diplomatic tension but in the lives of vulnerable young citizens who are trafficked, abused, and discarded.

Unless ASEAN takes collective action and holds even its most powerful actors accountable, the region’s scam economy will continue to flourish. And unless Indonesia raises its voice louder, through policy, enforcement, and public pressure, the nation’s most vulnerable will remain at risk of being sold into one of Southeast Asia’s darkest industries.