Other Tourist Scams in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Timeshares, fake police, charity fraud, and miscellaneous scams targeting visitors. Below are the other scams scams reported in Phnom Penh — how they work and how to avoid them.
For broader context, compare this scam type with nearby destinations like Luang Prabang, Hoi An, and Koh Samui.
Last updated: April 2, 2026
2
Other Scams Scams
10
Total in Phnom Penh
How it works
A friendly stranger initiates conversation, builds rapport over hours, and eventually invites the tourist to a private home for food or drinks. A card game follows where the tourist is cheated into losing large sums, sometimes under armed threat to visit an ATM. Multiple Western embassies have issued specific warnings.
How it works
Dealers sell drugs openly in areas frequented by tourists, then police (sometimes in coordination with the dealer) arrest the buyer. Victims are pressured into paying large on-the-spot 'fines' to avoid formal arrest. US and UK advisories specifically warn about this in Cambodia.
See all scams in Phnom Penh
10 total warnings across all categories