US Strike Force Cracks Down on Southeast Asian Scam Centers, Seizes Domains and Telegram Channel

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Scam Center Strike Force announced a coordinated international crackdown on Southeast Asia–based scam operations that defrauded Americans, including charges against two Chinese nationals tied to a Burma cryptocurrency fraud, the seizure of a Telegram channel used to recruit workers for forced-labor and law-enforcement impersonation schemes, and the takedown of over 500 fake investment websites. Authorities have restrained more than $700 million in cryptocurrency tied to money laundering and announced Treasury sanctions and State Department rewards as part of a broader government-wide effort to disrupt these networks and recover funds for victims.