DOJ and FBI-led Operation Results in 276 Arrests and Shuts Down Nine Overseas Crypto Fraud Centers

The Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation announced a sweeping international operation that led to at least 276 arrests and the shutdown of multiple scam centers tied to cryptocurrency fraud. Authorities worked with partners including the Dubai Police and law enforcement agencies in Thailand to dismantle at least nine scam centers linked to large-scale crypto fraud.

These networks targeted Americans and drained millions of dollars from victims.

Several suspects now face federal charges in the United States including wire fraud and money laundering. Investigators said the scam operations functioned like businesses, with recruitment, management layers and structured systems. The networks often followed a pattern known as "pig-butchering," in which scammers built trust through social media or messaging apps before steering victims toward fraudulent cryptocurrency investments.

Once trust was established, victims were guided to transfer funds to fake platforms showing illusory gains, after which the money was moved through multiple accounts and became unrecoverable. Meta Platforms, Inc. provided data that helped law enforcement identify and track the scam networks.

In 2025 Meta removed more than 159 million scam ads. 9 million accounts linked to scam centers that year. Meta recently disabled over 150,000 accounts connected to these networks as part of a coordinated enforcement effort.

Chris Sonderby, Meta's vice president and deputy general counsel, said the company worked closely with investigators.