The U.S. State Department on Sept. 22 imposed visa restrictions on 32 people, most of whom U.S. officials say are tied to Cambodia’s Prince Group and transnational cyber scams targeting Americans. State Department spokesman Tomas Pigott said the individuals were "responsible for or complicit" in cyber-enabled fraud. The Prince Group was designated a transnational criminal organization in October 2025, and the U.S. Treasury previously sanctioned the group's founder, Chen Zhi, and scores of affiliated firms. U.S. officials said these scams cost Americans tens of billions annually, including an estimated $18.2 billion last year.
U.S. Bars Visas For 32 Suspected Cybercriminals, Most Linked To Cambodia’s Prince Group
People drive past a Prince Bank in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in October 2025. The U.S. State Department on Monday announced visa restrictions against 32 people, mostly linked to Prince Group and Prince Group entities. File Photo by Kith Serey/EPA
On Sept. 22, the U.S. State Department announced visa restrictions tied to cybercrime for 32 individuals, saying the majority are connected to the Prince Group, a Phnom Penh-based conglomerate that U.S. officials accuse of running transnational scam operations targeting Americans.
What the State Department Said
State Department spokesman Tomas Pigott did not name the individuals placed on the visa blacklist but said in a statement they were "responsible for or complicit in defrauding Americans through cybercrime, cyber-enabled crime and related activity." Pigott added that all those targeted were involved in cybercrime and that most had ties to the Prince Group.
"The administration will use every available tool to protect Americans, dismantle criminal scam networks and impose costs on those who enable them," Pigott said. "Those complicit in devastating families and communities nationwide will be denied entry into the United States."
Background On The Prince Group
Headquartered in Phnom Penh, the Prince Group operates businesses across entertainment, finance and real estate, but U.S. authorities say it also engages in transnational criminal activity. The U.S. designated Prince Group a transnational criminal organization in October 2025 in a joint action with Britain; the U.S. Treasury described that step as the "largest action ever targeting criminal networks in Southeast Asia."
The Treasury has accused the group of constructing and running scam compounds that rely on human trafficking to staff cyber fraud operations aimed at victims worldwide. When the Treasury first sanctioned the group it targeted 146 subjects, including founder Chen Zhi (age 38), who is also known as Vincent, and 117 affiliated companies. That package was expanded in June to include nine additional individuals and 26 more entities.
Scale And International Response
Pigott and Treasury officials highlighted the financial toll of such cybercrime schemes, saying criminals defraud Americans of tens of billions of dollars annually — an estimated $18.2 billion last year alone. South Korea and the European Union have also imposed sanctions on the Prince Group, signaling growing international cooperation against these networks.
This visa action is intended to restrict travel and other privileges for those believed to enable or profit from large-scale cyber fraud and human trafficking tied to scam operations. U.S. officials said they will continue to pursue financial and legal measures to disrupt these networks and protect victims.
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