DOJ-led operation seizes $3M in crypto, arrests 63 in global scam crackdown

A sweeping anti-scam operation led by Meta and backed by the DOJ, FBI, Coinbase, Microsoft and Starlink resulted in 63 arrests, $3 million in frozen cryptocurrency and the removal of more than 1.4 million scam-related online accounts, officials said Tuesday.

"Protecting people around the world from scams is one of our highest priorities," Chris Sonderby, Meta's vice president and deputy general counsel, said in a statement. He said the operation "demonstrates the power of partnerships to combat scammers."

The two-week operation began May 18 and brought together the DOJ's Scam Center Strike Force — led by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Ferris Pirro — along with the FBI, the Royal Thai Police, Microsoft, Coinbase, Starlink and law enforcement agencies from the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Thailand. The Royal Thai Police arrested 63 individuals allegedly connected to scam centers, while Coinbase froze more than $3 million in cryptocurrency assets tied to criminal networks. Meta removed approximately 1.4 million scam accounts, pages and groups from Facebook and Instagram, Microsoft disabled roughly 20,000 accounts and Starlink disrupted thousands of internet terminals associated with the networks.

The operation targeted criminal scam networks that authorities say steal billions of dollars from Americans each year through romance scams, cryptocurrency investment fraud and other fraudulent schemes. The FBI reported earlier this month that Americans' losses from crypto- and AI-related scams in 2025 exceeded $11 billion, with investment scams the most damaging. Many of the organizations operate from forced-labor compounds in Southeast Asia linked to transnational organized crime groups, officials said. Authorities also identified dozens of previously unknown scam compounds and criminal networks, which were referred to law enforcement agencies for further investigation.

Operation marks third joint effort since December

Meta said the effort marked its third joint operation with the DOJ Scam Center Strike Force since December 2025. The scale has grown dramatically: from 59,000 scam assets removed in December to 150,000 in March and 1.4 million in the latest crackdown. Across all three operations, the company said it has removed more than 1.6 million scam accounts, pages and groups and provided intelligence that helped lead to 84 arrests by the Royal Thai Police.

Coinbase said the operation demonstrated the investigative value of blockchain technology. "We know crypto sometimes gets an unfair reputation when it comes to illicit finance," the exchange said. "The reality is the opposite. Blockchain technology gives law enforcement something traditional financial systems often can't: a transparent, immutable and permanent record of every transaction."

The DOJ's Scam Center Strike Force has undertaken more than 450 major law enforcement actions within 52 days, including search warrants, arrests and convictions, according to Assistant Attorney General for National Fraud Enforcement Colin McDonald. The operation follows a broader pattern of international enforcement against crypto scam infrastructure. In April, the US Scam Center Strike Force froze more than $701 million in crypto linked to investment scams. A Dubai police-led crackdown in coordination with the FBI and Chinese authorities resulted in 276 arrests and the shutdown of at least nine crypto scam centers.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.