Tour & Activity Scams in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Unlicensed guides, fake tickets, bait-and-switch excursions, and ticket scalping. Below are the tour & activities 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
Tour & Activities Scams
10
Total in Phnom Penh
How it works
Operators promote visits to local orphanages as voluntourism experiences for a fee. Many 'orphanages' are not genuine — children are sometimes borrowed from families to attract donations, and the money rarely benefits them. UNICEF and Australian aid agencies have campaigned against this practice in Cambodia.
How it works
Near the entrance to the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center (the Killing Fields), unofficial touts approach tourists offering pre-purchased tickets at a slight discount or claiming the official ticket office is closed or overcrowded. The tickets provided are either counterfeit or legitimately purchased at face value and resold with a markup framed as a "service fee." Some touts also pose as licensed guides offering bundled ticket-and-tour deals that are vastly overpriced compared to the official audio guide included in the admission price.
See all scams in Phnom Penh
10 total warnings across all categories