The Scam Center Strike Force and its federal law enforcement and interagency partners have frozen and seized more than $580 million in cryptocurrency stolen by Chinese transnational criminal organizations. The cryptocurrency was used in a variety of scams.
Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud scammers use U.S. social media networks or text messages to U.S.-based cell phones to target victims, gain their trust and convince them to invest in real cryptocurrency. The scammers then trick their victims to transfer funds into fake cryptocurrency investment websites and applications. These scams defraud Americans of nearly $10 billion annually, according to recent reporting estimates.
“These criminals don’t care who you are, what you believe in, or what you ate for breakfast — all they want is to steal from good and honest Americans to line the pockets of Chinese organized crime,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said.
The strike force has been targeting scammers located in Southeast Asia and identifying and pursuing key leaders. The Chinese organized crime affiliates operate in Burma, Cambodia and Laos, and their workers often are victims of human trafficking.
The Scam Center Strike Force is a collaboration of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and others.