The Siem Reap provincial police have instructed e-payment service providers throughout the province to be cautious about a new scam in which fraudsters posed as staff members to steal money from those who have deposited money in the system.
Provincial deputy police chief Phoeng Chenda Reth told The Post on Monday that although the scam had not yet occurred in the province, the police headquarters had ordered all police officers to instruct e-payment service providers to take precautions.
“It has been happening in Phnom Penh. We haven’t seen it in Siem Reap yet, but we’re publicising the issue and educating them in advance so they don’t suffer,” he said.
Siem Reap district police chief Nop Sarak told The Post there were e-payment service providers in some 60 locations in the province.
He said his officers had been told to be cautious after the inspectorate in the city received the guidance from the provincial police headquarters on Friday.
“The swindlers phone the business owners and play the role of agents of the companies.
“They inform the companies that they are required to change their money transferring machines and then ask the owners to provide the PIN so that they can install the new machines.
“Once they know the PIN, the con artists can withdraw money,” Sarak said.
National Police spokesman Chhay Kim Khoeun said he was unaware of the new scam but said the Siem Reap police instructing companies to be cautious was a sensible move.
A staff member at True Money (Cambodia) Ltd told The Post that the company had not yet encountered the scam.
