A U.S. Department of Justice-led operation has frozen more than $3.8 million in cryptocurrency connected to scam networks operating across Southeast Asia. The same campaign also shut down large numbers of fraudulent accounts and dismantled servers, hosting resources, colocation facilities, and Starlink equipment tied to the groups.
“Disruption Week” brought government and tech companies together
The operation, called “Disruption Week,” was carried out by the DOJ’s Scam Center Strike Force with support from major private-sector companies including Apple, Coinbase, Google, Meta, Microsoft, SpaceX, Silent Push, TRM Labs, and Zenlayer. Meta helped coordinate the campaign and pushed for broader participation from technology and cybersecurity firms.
Investigators identified multiple scam platforms during the effort and referred several suspects to U.S. authorities for possible prosecution. Coinbase said it froze more than $3 million in cryptocurrency linked to the targeted networks, while the broader action disabled over 1.4 million accounts associated with fraudulent activity across digital platforms. The figures alone show how broad the operation was.
Servers, Starlink kits, and hosting infrastructure were taken down
The crackdown went well beyond wallet freezes. Participating organizations also terminated thousands of Starlink kits that allegedly gave criminal groups internet access and operational support in remote areas of Southeast Asia.
Authorities and corporate partners dismantled servers, hosting services, and colocation infrastructure connected to the fraud rings, hitting the systems used to communicate with victims, coordinate scams, and process illicit financial flows. Arrests followed. Thailand’s Royal Thai Police Anti-Cyber Scam Center arrested seven suspects in Thailand, and the wider operation contributed to 63 arrests overall while helping identify more people tied to organized fraud groups.
The FBI, U.S. Secret Service, and Homeland Security Investigations provided intelligence, investigative support, and operational coordination. International agencies also joined the campaign, including the Australian Federal Police, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, New Zealand Police, the Royal Thai Police, and the UK’s National Crime Agency. The cross-border scope was hard to miss.
Reported crypto investment scam losses reached $7.2 billion
According to data cited by the DOJ, reported losses from crypto investment scams topped $7.2 billion in 2025. That was a 24% increase from $5.8 billion in 2024 and well above the $3.96 billion recorded in 2023. The trend is moving in one direction.
Investigators said many of these operations originate from large scam compounds in Cambodia, Laos, and Burma near the Thai border. Criminal groups often recruit workers with promises of high-paying jobs, then force them into fraud schemes aimed at victims in the United States and other countries. Authorities believe that disrupting infrastructure, finances, and communication networks will make it harder for these syndicates to keep operating at the scale seen in recent years.