In a significant demonstration of inter-sectoral cooperation against digital asset crime, private sector entities, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Scam Center Strike Force, have successfully frozen over $3.8 million in cryptocurrency assets. This action was part of a coordinated anti-scam operation targeting fraudulent networks with operations concentrated in Southeast Asia.
Key Takeaways
- Private sector participants, alongside the U.S. Department of Justice, froze more than $3.8 million in crypto linked to fraud during “Disruption Week.”
- The operation involved major tech and crypto firms, including Apple, Coinbase, Google, Meta, and SpaceX.
- Law enforcement agencies from multiple countries, including the U.S., Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Thailand, and the UK, collaborated on the initiative.
- Data from the FBI indicates a substantial increase in cryptocurrency investment fraud losses, exceeding $7.2 billion in 2025.
- Scam operations, often run from compounds in Southeast Asia, exploit individuals through deceptive job offers to conduct fraudulent activities.
The initiative, codenamed “Disruption Week,” saw participation from a consortium of technology and cryptocurrency companies including Apple, Coinbase, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Silent Push, SpaceX, TRM Labs, and Zenlayer. Meta was instrumental in coordinating the event and fostering broader engagement from the private sector, as detailed in a DOJ statement released on Wednesday.
The operation resulted in the apprehension of seven individuals by the Royal Thai Police Anti-Cyber Scam Center in Thailand. Furthermore, numerous scam operatives and their associated platforms were identified and subsequently referred to U.S. authorities for potential prosecution. Coinbase reported its contribution involved freezing over $3 million in cryptocurrency assets connected to these illicit networks. The broader enforcement actions led to the disabling of over 1.4 million accounts, the termination of thousands of Starlink internet connections, and a total of 63 arrests.
The scope of the operation extended to the decommissioning of servers, colocation facilities, and hosting infrastructure that were being utilized by these scam networks operating across Southeast Asia. This multifaceted approach aims to disrupt the operational capabilities of criminal syndicates involved in digital asset fraud.
Setting a Precedent for Regulatory Collaboration
The success of “Disruption Week” underscores a growing trend towards public-private partnerships in combating sophisticated financial crimes, particularly those involving cryptocurrencies. This collaborative model, which merges the intelligence-gathering and enforcement capabilities of government agencies with the technical expertise and reach of private sector entities, may establish a new benchmark for future regulatory and law enforcement efforts. The involvement of international law enforcement agencies, including the Australian Federal Police, Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, New Zealand Police, Royal Thai Police, and the UK National Crime Agency, alongside U.S. federal agencies like the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, and Homeland Security Investigations, highlights the increasingly global nature of crypto-related illicit activities and the necessity of cross-border cooperation. The DOJ’s emphasis on these partnerships as a critical tool in combating bad actors suggests that similar integrated operations could become more frequent as regulatory frameworks, such as the EU’s MiCA, continue to evolve, creating clearer guidelines for digital asset operations and compliance.
According to DOJ disclosures, intelligence on targets was provided by federal investigators from the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations. The DOJ highlighted that the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) recorded a 24% increase in reported losses from cryptocurrency investment fraud, reaching over $7.2 billion in 2025, a marked rise from $5.8 billion in 2024 and $3.96 billion in 2023. The statement further detailed that many of these fraudulent schemes are operated from large-scale scam compounds situated in Cambodia, Laos, and Burma, in proximity to the Thai border. Criminal syndicates commonly employ a strategy of recruiting individuals through false promises of high-paying employment, subsequently compelling them to engage in fraudulent activities targeting victims internationally.
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