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'Frightening' photo allegedly of foreign passports in trash bin in Cambodia goes viral amid series of crimes targeting Koreans

Published: 13 Oct. 2025, 16:42

A photograph, allegedly of a pile of foreign passports discarded in a street trash bin in Cambodia, has gone viral online, fueling concerns amid a string of crimes targeting Korean nationals in the country, including kidnapping and forced confinement.

On Monday, an image titled “Typical trash bin in Cambodia” — with the caption “A frightening photo once you understand it” — went viral on online forums, showing multiple passports scattered across the ground. Most of them appear to be Thai passports, though others seem to belong to different countries.

The photo was originally shared in June on a Thai online community. On June 21, Thai daily newspaper Khaosod reported that an anonymous post in a Facebook group titled “Thais living in Poipet” included the same image. Poipet is a Cambodian town that borders Thailand.

Online commenters expressed alarm, with one writing, “This single photo is more chilling than any article,” and others raising concerns that the scene may be linked to criminal activity rather than simple loss.

According to Khaosod, some commenters speculated that the passports may have belonged to victims lured to Poipet by scam syndicates. Others suggested the passports may have been confiscated and discarded to prevent victims from returning to Thailand.

The post noted that Cambodian authorities had recently tightened border controls, restricting entry to Thai nationals working in casinos and entertainment venues. The newspaper also confirmed that the passports shown in the photo were genuine Thai passports, though most had already expired.

The resurfacing of the photo comes as Cambodia sees a surge in organized crimes targeting Koreans, including voice phishing scams, romance scams and stock investment frauds. These crimes often involve kidnapping and detaining victims.

According to police and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chinese nationals and ethnic Koreans from China have been operating criminal syndicates that lure Koreans to Cambodia by advertising high-paying jobs or courier gigs. Some victims are deceived through online romance scams.

Once in Cambodia, the victims are stripped of their passports and kept captive. Many are subjected to torture, then coerced into participating in voice phishing operations.

In response to the rising number of fraud and confinement cases, the Korean government issued a special travel advisory on Oct. 10 for Phnom Penh, warning Korean nationals to exercise extreme caution when traveling to the Cambodian city. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had previously issued alerts advising against travel or encouraging those already in the country to consider evacuating or relocating.

According to the Foreign Ministry, reported abduction cases involving Koreans in Cambodia have skyrocketed — from 10 to 20 per year in 2022 and 2023 to 220 last year, with 330 cases already reported as of August this year.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]