Synopsis: Authorities report a surge in young people manipulated through digital relationships, with secrecy and delayed reporting hindering investigations.

More minors are falling prey to deception through online romantic relationships, with many unaware that they have been manipulated until after harm occurs while some are too ashamed to report it, a senior anti-trafficking official warned.

Chou Bun Eng, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Interior and Permanent Vice-Chairwoman of the National Committee for Counter Trafficking, said Wednesday that authorities are encountering an increasing number of young people lured by offenders who build trust through apparent romantic relationships.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a national forum on digital safety in Phnom Penh, she said children and teenagers often fail to recognise danger while communicating online.

“We are gradually finding more minors being drawn into the traps of offenders, particularly those deceived through romantic relationships,” she said.

Bun Eng said young people frequently do not inform parents or authorities because they do not realise they are being deceived until after discovering the fraud.

“Sometimes, even after they have been deceived, they do not dare tell anyone because they are ashamed,” she said.

She did not provide figures for the reported increase or specify how many cases involved sexual exploitation rather than other forms of deception.

The warning arrives amid wider concerns regarding online risks facing Cambodian children.

A UNICEF report published in September estimated that more than one in four internet-using Cambodian children aged 12 to 17 experienced at least one form of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation or abuse during the study period, based largely on data collected in 2020 and 2021.

Bun Eng said the secrecy of online communications complicates efforts to identify offenders, particularly when children interact with unverified profiles.

She urged greater awareness among children inside and outside schools, adding that prevention remains more effective than reacting after exploitation occurs.

She added that children who have already suffered harm require protection and assistance alongside awareness messages.

The government is drafting additional child protection legislation, she said, while police units responsible for combating trafficking and protecting minors continue prevention and response efforts.

Bun Eng said authorities are conducting awareness programmes in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications and private-sector partners, including Smart Axiata.

The initiatives help young people recognise suspicious online interactions, distinguish reliable information from deception and avoid situations exposing them to exploitation.

Asked about rescue figures and identified suspects over the past year, Bun Eng said she lacked precise data.

She added that investigations face complications from deleted digital records, fake accounts and modified account ownership, which hinder efforts to trace offenders following formal complaints.

• Tags: Cambodia, online safety