U.S. Justice Department Cracks Down: Seizes Crypto Scam Domain Linked to Southeast Asia
Federal authorities just pulled the plug on a major crypto scam operation—and the takedown points straight to Southeast Asia.
The Domain Grab
No warning, no negotiation. The U.S. Justice Department executed a seizure warrant, taking control of a domain central to a sophisticated cryptocurrency fraud scheme. The move cuts off a key communication and recruitment channel, instantly freezing the scam's operations.
Follow the Digital Trail
While details are still emerging, the geographic link to Southeast Asia is telling. The region has become a hotspot for complex crypto fraud rings, often blending online deception with organized crime. This seizure suggests investigators are tracing the digital money trail across borders.
A Signal to Scammers
This isn't just about one website. It's a clear signal that U.S. agencies are actively pursuing international crypto crime. The action demonstrates an ability to target infrastructure, not just individuals—a tactic that can disrupt schemes at their source.
The Compliance Irony
Here's the cynical finance jab: this crackdown highlights the wild gap in global oversight. While legitimate crypto firms drown in KYC paperwork, scam operations flourish with fake domains—until they get caught. It's a reminder that regulation still chases the problem, rarely getting ahead of it.
The takeaway? The long arm of U.S. law just got a bit longer in the crypto world. One less scam site is a win, but it's a game of whack-a-mole where the moles have VPNs and offshore servers.
How the Crypto Scam Operated and Targeted U.S. Victims
The scam was operated by individuals connected to the Tai Chang scam compound, located in Kyaukhat, a village in Burma. Prior to the DOJ’s crackdown, the Tai Chang scam compound was very popular for hosting different criminal activities across South Asia. These centers came together and targeted victims by creating convincing online platforms that imitate genuine trading and financial services.
For today, the DOJ has tried to crack down on tickmilleas.com, one of the major centers that caused victims to lose a lot of money. The report showed that tickmilleas.com was designed in such a way that it looked like a trustworthy investment website.
Victims who used the platform agreed to it and even told the FBI that the site, when it was operating, showed fake profits, fake balances, and trading activities that now, looking back, were fabricated. Although the domain was registered only in early November 2025, the FBI has already identified victims that lost their money during the short time the site was operating.
So far, the website has been taken down, and the Strike Force has seized two other domains used by the same group for running scams from the Tai Chang compound. There is also a warning page that appears on the tickmilleas.com website, informing anyone who visits that the domain has been seized by law enforcement agents.
