Scam Center Strike Force Takes Major Actions Against Southeast Asian Scam Centers Targeting Americans

Warrant to Seize Property Subject to Forfeiture by Telephone Jiang Wen Jie Criminal Complaint Huang Xingshan Criminal Complaint Application for a Warrant to Seize Property Subject to Forfeiture The Department of Justice, through U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Criminal Division, together with its partners, today announced a series of coordinated actions by the Scam Center Strike Force against Southeast Asian criminal organizations operating scam centers that have defrauded Americans of billions of dollars. The Scam Center Strike Force’s actions include criminal charges against two Chinese nationals who managed a cryptocurrency investment fraud compound in Burma and attempted to open another compound in Cambodia, the seizure of a Telegram messaging app channel used to recruit human trafficking victims to a scam compound in Cambodia in order to work a law enforcement impersonation scam, and the seizure of 503 fake invesment websites, among other actions. Additionally, the Strike Force has continued to identify funds involved in money laundering from scam centers, seeking to seize and forfeit the same, and collectively the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Department’s Criminal Division, and their partners have restrained more than $700 million in cryptocurrency alleged to be tied to money laundering from cryptocurrency scams. Also today, in a coordinated interagency action, the Department of the Treasury announced sanctions against Cambodian scam center operators, and the Department of State announced rewards for information leading to the seizure or recovery of proceeds related to the Tai Chang scam center in Burma. “The President’s Executive Order Combating Cybercrime, Fraud, and Predatory Schemes Against American Citizens establishes a clear, whole-of-government strategy to confront cyber-enabled crime and transnational scam operations – bringing together law enforcement, intelligence, diplomatic, and financial tools in a unified effort,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for the District of Columbia. “Building on that direction, the Scam Center Strike Force launched in November 2025 has delivered real operational results and reflects the kind of focused action this strategy demands. Together, these efforts are driving a coordinated campaign to disrupt and impose consequences on the transnational criminal organizations behind these schemes.” “Today we announce significant milestones in that fight,” Pirro continued. “We have charged the Chinese bosses who ran a scam compound in Burma, where trafficked workers were beaten and forced to steal from Americans. We have seized a Telegram channel that was luring workers into a forced labor compound in Cambodia where they were ordered to pose as U.S. banks and NYPD to steal American’s life savings. We have taken down more than 500 websites used to steal people’s savings. And my Office continues to work to identify funds stolen from victims, having now caused restraint of more than $700 million in cryptocurrency involved in money laundering from U.S. victims of fraud. This Administration is lock-step in combatting these scams, and we are not done.” “The Department’s Criminal Division is proud to partner with U.S. Attorney Pirro’s office on the latest enforcement actions of the Scam Center Strike Force to stop foreign-based criminal networks that exploit vulnerable Americans,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Fraudsters who target Americans from overseas may believe that they cannot be reached, but the Department of Justice and our Strike Force partners are working to ensure that these criminals cannot operate with impunity, no matter where in the world they reside.” Joining today’s announcement were FBI Co-Deputy Director Christopher G. Raia, U.S. Secret Service’s (USSS) Assistant Director Brent Daniels, Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement