DOJ says the Scam Center Strike Force brought major actions against Southeast Asian scam centers that targeted Americans with cryptocurrency investment fraud. The case includes allegations tied to large-scale fraud and cryptocurrency proceeds.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced major enforcement actions tied to Southeast Asian scam centers that allegedly targeted Americans through cryptocurrency investment fraud. According to DOJ, prosecutors pursued criminal charges and sought forfeiture linked to scam infrastructure used to recruit and victimize victims. DOJ’s announcement describes how fraudulent operators attempted to extract funds by luring victims with investment schemes that routed money into cryptocurrency channels. In addition to charging conduct, DOJ also took steps to seize and restrain cryptocurrency proceeds connected to the alleged fraud. The release frames the actions as part of an ongoing push to disrupt cross-border criminal activity that relies on “scam center” operations—often coordinated structures designed to generate victim contact, manage convincing pitches, and move illicit proceeds. DOJ emphasized that the enforcement is aimed at dismantling both the human and technical parts of these operations, including taking down infrastructure and cutting off the ability of fraud networks to benefit from stolen cryptocurrency. The department said these actions demonstrate the breadth of fraud enforcement, including coordinated work to pursue international actors whose schemes were intended to reach U.S. victims.