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U.S. sanctions cyber scam operations in Southeast Asia

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3 unique sources, 4 articles

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The U.S. Department of the Treasury has sanctioned several large cyber scam networks in Southeast Asia, primarily in Burma and Cambodia. These operations, which used forced labor and human trafficking, stole over $10 billion from Americans in 2024, a 66% increase from the previous year. The scams included romance baiting and fake cryptocurrency investments. The sanctions target individuals and entities linked to the Karen National Army (KNA) and various organized crime networks. The U.S. has established a new task force, the Scam Center Strike Force, to disrupt Chinese cryptocurrency scam networks. This task force, supported by the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the Secret Service, has already seized over $401 million in cryptocurrency and filed forfeiture proceedings for an additional $80 million in stolen funds. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has imposed additional sanctions on the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) and related entities. In a recent development, the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) seized $61 million worth of Tether linked to pig butchering crypto scams. The confiscated funds were traced to cryptocurrency addresses used for laundering proceeds from cryptocurrency investment scams. Threat actors target individuals by cultivating romantic relationships on dating and social media messaging apps, coercing victims into investing in fraudulent platforms that display fake high returns. Scammers route stolen money through multiple wallets to hide its nature and source. Tether has frozen around $4.2 billion in assets linked to illicit activity, including $250 million related to scam networks since June 2025.

Timeline

  1. 27.02.2026 20:11 1 articles · 23h ago

    DoJ seizes $61 million in Tether linked to pig butchering scams

    The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) seized $61 million worth of Tether linked to pig butchering crypto scams. The confiscated funds were traced to cryptocurrency addresses used for laundering proceeds from cryptocurrency investment scams. Threat actors target individuals by cultivating romantic relationships on dating and social media messaging apps, coercing victims into investing in fraudulent platforms that display fake high returns. Scammers route stolen money through multiple wallets to hide its nature and source. Tether has frozen around $4.2 billion in assets linked to illicit activity, including $250 million related to scam networks since June 2025.

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  2. 14.11.2025 16:54 2 articles · 3mo ago

    U.S. establishes Scam Center Strike Force

    The U.S. has established a new task force, the Scam Center Strike Force, to disrupt Chinese cryptocurrency scam networks. The strike force is supported by agents from the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the Secret Service. The strike force has already seized over $401 million in cryptocurrency and filed forfeiture proceedings for an additional $80 million in stolen funds. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) and four of its senior leaders for running cyber-scam operations in Burma. The sanctions also targeted Thailand-based firms Trans Asia International Holding Group Thailand Company Limited and Troth Star Company Limited, as well as Thai national Chamu Sawang.

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  3. 09.09.2025 23:25 4 articles · 5mo ago

    U.S. sanctions cyber scam operations in Southeast Asia

    The cybercriminal syndicates in Southeast Asia net nearly $40 billion annually in illicit profits. The scam centers have forced thousands of people into labor camps, including foreign nationals from Indonesia, Vietnam, and Taiwan. The U.S. sanctions block any property or assets in the U.S. or in the custody of any U.S. person, risking civil and criminal penalties. The U.S. actions are part of a broader effort to degrade the infrastructure supporting these scams and punish the system enabling their crimes. The cybercriminal syndicates are expanding globally, targeting new populations and weaker legal frameworks.

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Information Snippets

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