PHNOM PENH/YAOUNDÉ, May 19 – Authorities in Cambodia have arrested two Cameroonian nationals, including the infamous fraudster PDG Magloire, who is linked to a sophisticated financial scam that defrauded a Cambodian man of $7 million. The operation, which was dismantled by Royal Military Police in Phnom Penh on April 19, is one of the latest examples of the “black money scam”.
In this elaborate scheme, the scammers convinced their victim that $28 million in black-stained U.S. currency could be “cleaned” using a special powder, which they claimed was a legitimate process. This type of scam, known for its deceptive tactics, lured the victim into believing that the currency could be restored to its original state using the chemical method.
The Scam Unfolds
According to sources, the victim, a Cambodian man, was manipulated into believing he could “clean” the black-stained bills by following a demonstration involving a fake chemical process. The scammers told him to take a protective pill to neutralize any dangerous effects of the powder. During the demonstration, $10,000 in seemingly real currency was produced from a machine. Encouraged by the apparent success, the victim then proceeded to hand over $7 million in genuine U.S. currency in exchange for $25 million in bundled cash wrapped in yellow tape, instructed not to open it for several months.
However, upon opening the bundles a month later, the victim found only counterfeit bills and blank paper inside. Military Police Commander Rath Sreang emphasized the lesson from the scam: “A man who had $7 million now only has grief… a life lesson for anyone seeking to gain without effort.”
A Familiar Scam with Evolving Tactics
This fraud case highlights the persistence of advance-fee scams in Cambodia, particularly those orchestrated by foreign nationals, including West Africans running sophisticated criminal networks. Traditionally, scams were perpetrated through email or phone calls, offering fake investments or humanitarian opportunities. However, this case reveals an evolving trend in which scammers use face-to-face tactics with staged laboratory setups and chemical theatrics to convince victims of their legitimacy.
Despite numerous public awareness campaigns, these fraud operations continue to evolve, with Phnom Penh authorities warning against the dangers of “greed making fools of even the wise.”
Implications for Cameroon and Central Africa
The arrest of PDG Magloire, a well-known figure in Cameroon’s “feyman” scene, further exposes the global reach of Central African scam syndicates. Known for blending street smarts with complex deception, “feymen” are often involved in cross-border frauds, using charm and pseudo-technical language to deceive victims.
Experts argue that while arrests have been made, the scam network stretches far beyond Cameroon, with connections to Southeast Asia, the Gulf region, and other parts of Central Africa. The scams exploit legal loopholes and the weak financial oversight in many regions.
Dr. Emmanuel Essomba, a fraud analyst based in Douala, explained: “This isn’t just a Cameroonian issue. It’s a regional and global crisis. Magloire’s fall should alarm governments across Central Africa about what’s festering within their informal economies.”
According to the United States Institute for Peace, scammers operating in Cambodia generated up to $12.8 billion in 2023—nearly half the country’s formal GDP—with many of these operations led by foreign actors embedded in local compounds.
