Jakarta, Sept. 21 -- Online scam networks can spread across countries by separating people, money, technology, and operations. This structure means enforcement in one country may reach only part of the same network.

ASEAN now needs to better connect the cooperation mechanisms it already has so enforcement can move across borders as quickly as the networks themselves.

The case of Cambodia illustrates the scale of the challenge. From Jan. 1 to Sept. 15, 2026, the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh received reports from 12,940 Indonesians formerly involved in online scam networks who sought assistance returning to Indonesia.

A total of 8,252 have been facilitated to return home. Since early September, another 118 Indonesians have been secur...