US cracks down on Southeast Asian scam networks
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Aerial image of the Shunda compound in Burma, where forced labor carried out fraud under threat of violence.
United States Attorney's Office District of Columbia
The Telegram channel used to recruit individuals to work in Cambodia.
United States Attorney's Office District of Columbia
The United States has taken action against Southeast Asian criminal organizations operating scam centers that have defrauded Americans of billions of dollars.
The Scam Center Strike Force has identified pig-butchering, or cryptocurrency investment fraud, operations, including charges against two Chinese nationals linked to a scam compound in Burma and a planned site in Cambodia; the seizure of a Telegram channel used to recruit trafficking victims for scams; and the takedown of 503 fake investment websites.
According to Jeanine Ferris Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, the team has restrained more than $700 million in cryptocurrency for victims.
Speaking during the Asia Pacific Media Hub’s Hub Call, Pirro said the effort began in November 2025, when the FBI was deployed to Thailand following the takedown of the Chinese-run Shunda compound in Burma.
Authorities reviewed extensive evidence, seizing more than 8,000 phones and 1,500 computers, and identified a hierarchical structure of Chinese bosses running the compound.
“That evidence together with reports from victims here in the U.S. and information from providers led to charges against two Chinese defendants who are managers of the compound,” she said during the virtual press briefing.
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Pirro said her team recently met with Thai officials to coordinate efforts against the networks, noting the operations extend beyond financial crimes.
“Unfortunately, the workers who responded to those jobs ended up posing as banks, police, and prosecutors,” Pirro said, adding that the schemes involve human trafficking and torture.
“These criminals thought they were untouchable because they were overseas. Today, we have proved them wrong and we're just getting started. Our president has launched a new theater of war against Chinese transnational organized crime,” Pirro said.
Scams widespread in Southeast Asia
Pirro said the strike force has tracked multiple types of scams targeting Americans, including romance scams, law enforcement impersonation schemes, investment fraud and lifestyle influencer scams.
“There has been an uptick in impersonation scams more recently,” she noted.
She identified Cambodia, Burma and Laos as key hotspots based on public reporting and data from social media providers.
Regarding the Philippines, Pirro said U.S. authorities are coordinating with local counterparts.
“We have our FBI legal and DOJ attache in the Philippines and we are presently working with their government.”
The Scam Center Strike Force targets Chinese organized crime syndicates running scam centers in Southeast Asia, focusing on cryptocurrency investment fraud, cyber-enabled fraud, human trafficking and money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
