The United States Scam Center Strike Force

We have told you that this administration has been taking scams seriously for a while, but now the action plan has been revealed.

What the Scam Center Strike Force is:

The Scam Center Strike Force is a newly established (November 2025) interagency U.S. law enforcement initiative created in late 2025 to combat large-scale cryptocurrency investment scams and other cyber-fraud operations run from “scam centers” in Southeast Asia that target U.S. citizens.

It brings together resources from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), including its Criminal Division (fraud, money-laundering, and computer crimes units), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the United States Secret Service. The strike force also coordinates with the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the State Department, the Commerce Department, and domestic private-sector partners.

Its Mission and Activities

The Strike Force aims to investigate, disrupt, and prosecute the most egregious scam centers operating in Southeast Asia, especially those in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, by targeting the key leaders of transnational criminal organizations behind the schemes.

It seeks to seize and disable U.S.-based infrastructure (such as internet services, social media accounts, and payment channels) used by scammers to defraud Americans.

The Strike Force also works to recover stolen cryptocurrency and assets for victims. As of its initial announcements, it had already seized more than $400 million in cryptocurrency linked to scam networks.

In addition, the Strike Force engages in public-private cooperation, including working with technology firms, financial institutions, and social media companies, to cut off scam operations and prevent scammers from re-establishing access through U.S.-based infrastructure.

Why It Matters

Scam centers in Southeast Asia have been identified as major sources of “pig-butchering” crypto scams and other online frauds that have cost American victims billions of dollars annually. U.S. officials have characterized this wave of cybercrime as a national security threat.

By combining legal, financial, and diplomatic tools, prosecution, sanctions, asset seizure, infrastructure disruption, and international cooperation, the Strike Force represents a coordinated, strategic approach rather than ad hoc efforts.

For scam victims, the Strike Force offers hope of justice, recovery of stolen funds, and increased pressure on criminal networks to dismantle their operations.

The full press release is here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/new-scam-center-strike-force-battles-southeast-asian-crypto-investment-fraud-targeting

Prof. Tim McGuinness, Ph.D.
December 2025

Key Results and Seizures 2025 – So Far

The Strike Force has already seized and forfeited more than $401,657,274.33 in cryptocurrency linked to Southeast Asia–based scam operations.

The Strike Force has filed forfeiture proceedings for an additional $80 million in stolen funds, aimed at returning those assets to victims.

In a public announcement, prosecutors confirmed that the web domain tickmilleas.com, operated by scammers at the Tai Chang scam compound (also known as Casino Kosai) in Kyaukhat, Burma, has been seized. This domain had posed as a legitimate cryptocurrency investment platform to defraud Americans.

That domain seizure came less than three weeks after the Strike Force launched, and followed the forfeiture of two other domains tied to the same compound.

In operations linked to the Strike Force, U.S. and interagency partners targeted the internet infrastructure used by scam centers, seeking to disable U.S.-based infrastructure (websites, cloud services, social media and hosting accounts) used to facilitate scams.

Their investigations extended beyond just assets: the Strike Force backed operations that led to arrests. For example, in Bali, information from the Strike Force enabled local authorities to prosecute 38 Indonesian nationals who were part of networks that targeted more than 150 U.S.-based victims.

Case examples

The Tai Chang scam compound in Burma: The Strike Force seized the domain tickmilleas.com, along with two other domains, shutting down a major front used to carry out cryptocurrency investment fraud targeting Americans. That compound has been linked to organized crime and a sanctioned armed group, underscoring the cross-border and violent nature of these operations.

Bali-linked scam networks: Through information sharing and cooperation, the Strike Force helped Indonesian law enforcement dismantle part of a global fraud ring, resulting in the prosecution of dozens of individuals tied to scams that victimized Americans.

Why these results matter

These early actions by the Strike Force demonstrate that large-scale cryptocurrency and online scam networks rooted in Southeast Asia can be disrupted through coordinated international law enforcement efforts. The seizures of domains and crypto assets cut off access points and financial flows. The arrests and prosecutions send a message that the perpetrators, including those operating far overseas, can be held accountable. For scam victims, these efforts offer a concrete path toward justice and potential recovery of assets.