Scam Center Strike Force Seizes $580M in Crypto from Southeast Asian Networks
- The Scam Center Strike Force has seized over $580 million in cryptocurrency from Southeast Asian crime networks.
- The operation targets transnational criminal organizations involved in “pig butchering” scams, which exploit victims by diverting their crypto investments.
- Founded in November 2025, the Strike Force collaborates with the DOJ, FBI, Secret Service, and U.S. Treasury.
- In September, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned entities in Burma and Cambodia linked to scams costing victims over $10 billion in losses during the previous year.
- Deddy Lavid of Cyvers highlights that these seizures represent only a fraction of global crypto fraud activity, with an estimated $27.5 billion in fraud exposure worldwide.
The Scam Center Strike Force’s efforts mark significant progress against Southeast Asian crime networks exploiting cryptocurrency through social engineering scams known as “pig butchering.” These operations are heavily linked to Chinese transnational criminal organizations and involve complex laundering systems across multiple jurisdictions.
Despite the substantial seizure amount, experts like Deddy Lavid stress that it is a small portion of the larger global crypto fraud landscape involving billions of dollars and numerous criminal groups worldwide.(Source)
