Overview
- The Department of Justice’s Scam Center Strike Force led a cross‑sector operation that began May 18 and pooled intelligence from Meta, Microsoft, Coinbase, Starlink and global law enforcement to target romance and crypto investment fraud.
- Meta said it disabled more than 1.4 million accounts, pages and groups on Facebook and Instagram while Microsoft suspended about 20,000 accounts and Starlink terminated thousands of internet kits tied to the networks.
- Coinbase and other partners voluntarily froze cryptocurrency linked to the schemes, with public statements reporting between $3 million and $3.8 million of assets immobilized to help trace and block criminal funds.
- Royal Thai Police and other authorities carried out arrests tied to scam centers in Thailand, with reports varying between seven and 63 people arrested as agencies continue investigations and referrals.
- Officials say intelligence sharing during the week identified previously unknown industrial scam compounds in Southeast Asia that use coerced labor for 'pig‑butchering' schemes and that partners will keep collaborating on further disruptions and prosecutions.