U.S. Launches Strike Force to Combat $9B Crypto Scams Targeting Southeast Asian Networks
The United States has established a Scam Center Strike Force, an interagency unit aimed at dismantling Southeast Asian crypto-fraud networks responsible for $9 billion in losses to Americans this year alone. The initiative, announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, targets Chinese-linked organized crime groups operating in Burma, Bali, and Thailand.
Federal agencies have already seized $401.6 million in cryptocurrency and are coordinating with international partners, including the U.K., to disrupt scam infrastructure. The operation focuses on fraud schemes exploiting social media, U.S. financial systems, and blockchain technology to siphon wealth from Main Street America.
Pirro described the losses as a 'generational wealth transfer' to criminal syndicates. The strike force represents a significant escalation in efforts to protect victims and prosecute perpetrators behind mass fraud operations.
