Rally

Strike

Echoes

Force

<p>The U.S. government has unveiled a new <strong><a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0312" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Scam Center Strike Force</a></strong> aimed at dismantling large-scale overseas “pig butchering” networks, cryptocurrency-based scams that have defrauded Americans of billions of dollars. The announcement on November 12, 2025, marks one of the most coordinated federal crackdowns yet on transnational crime syndicates operating across Southeast Asia.</p>
<h3 id="coordinated-federal-action">Coordinated Federal Action</h3>
<p>The new interagency task force, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, will unify the efforts of several key departments, including the Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of the Treasury, and Department of State.</p>
<p>According to officials, this joint approach is necessary to combat the complex web of transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) that operate scam compounds, often using crypto transfers to conceal illicit profits. The Strike Force’s primary goal is to disrupt these international networks, recover stolen assets, and assist victims.</p>
<h3 id="sanctions-target-burmese-crime-hubs">Sanctions Target Burmese Crime Hubs</h3>
<p>In conjunction with the Strike Force announcement, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued sweeping sanctions against individuals and entities in Burma (Myanmar) linked to scam operations.</p>
<p>The targeted groups include the Karen National Union/Karen National Army (KNU/KNA) militia, which allegedly controls parts of the Thai-Burmese border region where multiple scam centers are based. OFAC also sanctioned associated companies and a Thai national accused of facilitating financial and logistical support for the illicit schemes.</p>
<div class="read-more tdi_7">
 <div class="td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack td-cpt-post td-module-exclusive">
  <div class="td-module-container">
   <div class="td-image-container">
    <div class="td-module-thumb"><a href="https://www.ethnews.com/bitcoin-analysts-eye-140k-target-as-long-term-holders-sell-and-stimulus-echoes-2020-rally/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"> <span style="background-image: url(https://www.ethnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/bitcoin-btc2-.jpg); background-size:cover;"></span> </a>
    </div>
   </div>
   <div class="td-module-meta-info">
    <h3 class="entry-title td-module-title" id="a-href-https-www-ethnews-com-bitcoin-analysts-eye-140k-target-as-long-term-holders-sell-and-stimulus-echoes-2020-rally-rel-noopener-noreferrer-nofollow-bitcoin-analysts-eye-140k-target-as-long-term-holders-sell-and-stimulus-echoes-2020-rally-a"><a href="https://www.ethnews.com/bitcoin-analysts-eye-140k-target-as-long-term-holders-sell-and-stimulus-echoes-2020-rally/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Bitcoin Analysts Eye $140K Target as Long-Term Holders Sell and Stimulus Echoes 2020 Rally</a></h3>
   </div>
  </div>
 </div>
</div>
<h3 id="funding-crime-and-conflict">Funding Crime and Conflict</h3>
<p>U.S. authorities say the funds stolen through these scams, often totaling billions of dollars annually,&nbsp;are used not only to enrich the criminal networks but also to finance ongoing conflict in Burma’s civil war.</p>
<p>Officials warned that many scam victims are lured into fraudulent crypto investment platforms, while trafficked workers are forced to operate these schemes under brutal conditions inside guarded compounds.</p>
<h3 id="escalating-enforcement-efforts">Escalating Enforcement Efforts</h3>
<p>The crackdown follows several high-profile investigations, including a $15 billion crypto seizure last month from a Cambodia-based operation tied to similar scam networks.</p>
<p>“The government will continue to use all the tools we possess to pursue these cybercriminals, wherever they are located, and protect American families from their exploitation,” said John Hurley, Treasury’s Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.</p>
<p>Authorities emphasized that the Strike Force’s creation reflects a broader strategy: no single agency can confront the global scale of crypto-enabled scams alone. By combining investigative, financial, and diplomatic tools, Washington aims to choke off the funding pipelines sustaining Southeast Asia’s most notorious digital fraud operations.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.ethnews.com/u-s-launches-strike-force-to-target-overseas-crypto-scam-centers/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">U.S. Launches Strike Force to Target Overseas Crypto Scam Centers</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ethnews.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">ETHNews</a>.</p>

U.S. Launches Strike Force to Target Overseas Crypto Scam Centers

Table of Contents

ETHNews

Other articles published on Nov 12, 2025

Join our free newsletter for daily crypto updates!