DOJ says coordinated action dismantled cryptocurrency investment fraud scam centers, leading to at least 276 arrests. U.S. prosecutors also charged alleged managers and recruiters in San Diego with wire-fraud and money-laundering conspiracy offenses tied to the same network.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced a coordinated takedown targeting cryptocurrency investment fraud operations that allegedly defrauded Americans. DOJ says the operation involved the FBI, Dubai Police, and Chinese authorities and resulted in at least 276 arrests, along with disruption of scam centers used to run the fraud. Prosecutors allege that the network relied on coordinated recruitment and management to keep victims engaged, route proceeds, and maintain operations across multiple locations. In the United States, DOJ charged alleged managers and recruiters in San Diego. According to the DOJ release, those charges include wire-fraud and money-laundering conspiracy counts, reflecting prosecutors’ position that the scam used communications and financial channels to carry out the scheme and conceal illicit proceeds. The DOJ announcement also emphasizes the international nature of the conduct, describing arrests beyond the U.S. and tying multiple jurisdictions together under the same allegedly coordinated fraud effort. As described by DOJ, the case underscores how crypto investment fraud schemes often blend online recruitment tactics with offshored infrastructure and transnational enforcement.