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   Hackers, your game is over - US government announces strike force to stamp    
   out Southeast Asian cyber scams   
      
   Date:   
   Sun, 16 Nov 2025 20:32:00 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   US Strike Force disrupts Southeast Asian scam centers, seizing cryptocurrency   
   and targeting DKBA and Chinese criminal networks.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   The United States has established a "Strike Force" to tackle   
   cryptocurrency-related fraud and scams operating out of Southeast Asia.    
      
   The initiative targets scam centers in countries including Burma, Cambodia,   
   and Laos, where organized networks have defrauded Americans of billions of   
   dollars over the last five years.    
      
   The Strike Force will employ investigations, criminal prosecutions,    
   sanctions, and seizures to disrupt these operations while seeking restitution   
   for victims.   
      
   Operations and seizures are underway    
      
   The operation involves multiple federal agencies, including the Department of   
   Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the US Secret Service, and   
   interagency partners.    
      
   "The FBI is committed to the important work of the Scam Center Strike Force,"   
   said FBI Criminal Division Deputy Assistant Director Gregory Heeb.    
      
   "It is the FBI's job to stop these criminals, and with the help of our   
   partners around the globe, we will do just that."    
      
   The Strike Force has acted against key targets in Myanmar, seizing Tai Chang   
   websites and seeking warrants to confiscate satellite terminals linking other   
   scam centers.    
      
   Criminal networks operating out of Burma are stealing billions of dollars    
   from hardworking Americans through online scams, said senior Treasury   
   Department official John Hurley. These same networks traffic human beings and   
   help fuel Burmas brutal civil war."    
      
   Teams investigating Bali-based scam networks have helped Indonesian   
   authorities prosecute 38 individuals.    
      
   The Crypto Seizure team announced the forfeiture of over $401.6 million in   
   cryptocurrency and filed proceedings for another $80 million in stolen funds.    
      
   These operations are intended to recover assets and prevent scammers from   
   leveraging US infrastructure to target citizens.    
      
   Strike Force members are embedded with local law enforcement, including the   
   Royal Thai Police, to combat scam centers like KK Park and others.    
      
   However, some coordinated ethnic groups like the Democratic Karen Benevolent   
   Army (DKBA) are associated with these crimes.    
      
   The Treasury Department has sanctioned the DKBA and associated entities as   
   specially-designated nationals, blocking assets and restricting business   
   dealings with them.    
      
   The DKBA is accused of securing scam compounds and exploiting trafficked   
   workers, with revenue supporting organized crime and armed groups involved in   
   Myanmars civil conflict.    
      
   Chinese transnational criminal organizations have also been implicated in   
   coordinating these scams.    
      
   DKBA soldiers have been filmed beating handcuffed scam workers. Rescued   
   victims have claimed that they were subjected to electric shocks, being hung   
   by their arms inside dark rooms, and other brutal treatment, the Treasury   
   Department said.    
      
   For its participation in these scam operations, the DKBA receives funding    
   that it uses to support its ongoing illicit activities.    
      
   The schemes have caused widespread financial losses, with some Americans   
   losing entire life savings.    
      
   Since 2019, the U.S. Secret Service has seen a major uptick in cryptocurrency   
   investment scams, said Secret Service Assistant Director Kyo Dolan.    
      
   In fiscal year 2025 alone, the U.S. Secret Service has responded to   
   approximately 3,000 victims who contacted us regarding cryptocurrency   
   investment schemes.    
      
   The Strike Force not only demonstrates the US commitment to dismantling these   
   networks, but President Trump also wants the US to be the hub of global   
   cryptocurrency.   
      
   "Scam centers are creating a generational wealth transfer from Main Street   
   America into the pockets of Chinese organized crime," said U.S. Attorney   
   Pirro.    
      
   "President Trump wants the United States to be the global center of the worlds   
   cryptocurrency industry. So it is absolutely crucial that Americans    
   understand the safe use of this commodity."   
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/hackers-your-game-is-over-us-government   
   -announces-strike-force-to-stamp-out-southeast-asian-cyber-scams   
      
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