US President Donald Trump announced on October 21 that his administration had frozen nearly $1 billion in cryptocurrency associated with international scam operations. He shared these details during a White House roundtable dedicated to tackling cybercrime and highlighted the government’s focus on combating overseas fraud rings targeting US citizens.
Major seizures and disruption of fraud networks
Trump reported that the federal government had prevented at least $1.6 billion in potential losses to Americans in the current year. He also mentioned the shutdown of over 500 fraudulent websites as part of ongoing enforcement efforts.
During the same roundtable, Trump stated that federal agencies had managed to warn more than 10,000 Americans who had been identified as potential victims of cybercrime schemes. FBI Director Kash Patel revealed that agents had dismantled 20 scam compounds around the globe, underscoring expanded efforts against organized fraud networks.
FBI Director Kash Patel explained that federal agents had targeted and dismantled international scam networks, disrupting operations around the world.
These actions form part of a broader campaign to counteract large-scale cyber-enabled scams, with authorities emphasizing the transnational nature of the threat and the scale of financial assets involved.
Justice Department’s coordinated approach
Attorney General Todd Blanche outlined changes in how such cases are prosecuted. He explained that the scale and complexity of cyber-enabled scams require a unified, nationwide response, rather than leaving investigations solely to local US Attorneys’ offices.
Blanche described a newly launched initiative within the Justice Department’s Criminal Division that deploys dozens of prosecutors throughout all 94 judicial districts in the country. This cyber-enabled scam program draws resources from across the department and coordinates with federal law enforcement partners.
Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized, “Because of the magnitude of this issue, it demands a nationwide response.”
The Scam Center Strike Force, a multi-agency partnership established in 2025 by the Criminal Division, US Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., the FBI, and the Secret Service, has so far restrained a total of $938,460,156.82 in cryptocurrency, according to data last updated on October 15. However, restrained assets are not the same as funds returned to victims.
The strike force concentrates on crypto fraud schemes, many of which reportedly operate out of Southeast Asia.
Mini dictionary: Scam Center Strike Force, an interagency US unit focused on freezing and investigating cryptocurrency-related fraud, combining resources from multiple federal law enforcement bodies.
Policy focus and increased cybercrime reports
The event at the White House came shortly before the November midterm elections, with early voting already underway in several states. Trump referenced Executive Order 14390, signed in March, which instructs the attorney general to prioritize prosecutions tied to cyber-enabled fraud, including organized scam centers.
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller remarked at the event that Trump had effectively declared a form of cyber warfare against digital criminals, matching the expanded law enforcement mobilization with heightened rhetoric.
Data from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center showed a rise in reported incidents, with more than 1 million internet crime complaints filed in 2025. This number represents a 17% increase from the 859,532 complaints filed in 2024, indicating both expanded victim outreach and possibly increased criminal attempts.
