US authorities have initiated actions to seize more than $25 million in cryptocurrency linked to fraud schemes that targeted thousands of victims across the United States and Canada. The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the US Secret Service Washington Field Office filed five separate civil forfeiture complaints on July 21, 2026, as part of a wide-ranging clampdown on international cyber fraud.
Thousands targeted in multiple schemes
Each complaint stems from an independent investigation by the Secret Service’s Cyber Fraud Task Force, which has recovered over $800 million in recent years through coordinated operations. The Scam Center Strike Force, an interagency effort launched in November 2025 by US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, is spearheading these cases and focuses specifically on cryptocurrency-related investment fraud linked to Chinese transnational crime syndicates.
Jeanine Ferris Pirro stated, “This $25 million seizure is a direct result of the Scam Center Strike Force I launched in November 2025, and it demonstrates the power of aggressively targeting these international fraud networks.”
Jeanine Ferris Pirro emphasized that going after these organizations with stronger enforcement has produced real results, pointing to the $25 million seizure as testimony to the effectiveness of the Strike Force initiative.
Two of the five complaints account for the largest portion of funds identified. In one case, a private-sector partner alerted authorities to suspicious transactions. The investigation uncovered that over 200 individuals were victimized in online romance scams, with the complaint seeking to forfeit approximately $12.09 million in crypto.
Another complaint followed notification from Canadian law enforcement in late 2024 regarding suspect wallet addresses. Secret Service agents then froze the identified wallets and linked them to more than 270 victims who had been defrauded via fake investment platforms. This case involves around $10.4 million.
The remaining three complaints collectively cover the balance of the $25 million, all connected to illicit money flows traced to Southeast Asia. Investigators found that individuals moving the stolen cryptocurrency operated from this region.
| Complaint Type | Funds Sought | Number of Victims | Source/Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romance scam (US, Canada) | ~$12.09 million | 200+ | Private sector tip |
| Fake investment platforms | ~$10.4 million | 270+ | Canadian law enforcement |
| Other complaint cases | Remainder of $25 million | Unknown | Southeast Asia |
Criminal syndicates and tactics
The schemes were primarily orchestrated through a tactic known as “pig butchering,” where fraudsters patiently establish relationships of trust with their targets. Victims are then encouraged to acquire legitimate cryptocurrency, which is subsequently diverted into fraudulent trading platforms operated by organized criminal groups.
Mini dictionary: Pig butchering, a type of scam where fraudsters build trust and affection over time before convincing victims to invest in bogus crypto platforms or send cryptocurrency, which is then stolen.
According to previous US Justice Department findings, many scam operations are coordinated from heavily guarded compounds in Burma, Cambodia, and Laos. These facilities often exploit trafficked workers, who are forced to perpetrate digital fraud under threat.
Efforts by law enforcement have ramped up throughout 2026, following a surge in crypto-related investment scams. The Strike Force had seized $580 million as of February, climbing to more than $700 million by April. US prosecutors have recently brought charges against two Chinese nationals who allegedly operated a scam compound in Burma, following US Treasury sanctions imposed on Cambodian senator Kok An in April 2026 for his reported ties to criminal enterprises in the region.
Wider problem and outlook
Southeast Asian scam centers have reached a vast scale, with US officials estimating the yearly haul from such operations targeting Americans to be as much as $10 billion. FBI reports indicate that in 2025 alone, US residents lost approximately $21 billion to cyber-enabled crimes and digital fraud.
Authorities have stated their intent to pursue asset forfeiture through court actions and aim, wherever possible, to return recovered funds to verified victims.
