FBI’s Biggest Crypto Bust Ever: $8 Billion Seized in Global Scam Network Crackdown
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced a sweeping international crackdown on cryptocurrency scam syndicates, revealing the seizure of a record-breaking $8 billion in digital assets and the arrest of hundreds of suspects linked to transnational organized crime.
According to a report by Fox News Digital, the crackdown targeted notorious “scam compounds” spread across Asia, Africa and the Middle East that allegedly preyed on Americans through romance fraud, cryptocurrency investment scams and online extortion schemes.
Authorities said the operation led to nearly 300 arrests and the rescue of close to 2,000 trafficking victims forced into scam labor.
The FBI reportedly confiscated more than 127,000 bitcoin during the arrest of Chen Zhi, CEO of Cambodia-based Prince Holding Group, an enterprise accused of running heavily guarded scam centers worldwide.
It was also reported that officials described the forfeiture as the largest in US government history, with the value potentially exceeding $15 billion at the time of seizure. Zhi now faces federal charges including wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The operation also focused on the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), an armed militia operating in Myanmar that US authorities have designated a transnational criminal organization over alleged links to Chinese organized crime and large-scale cyber fraud.
FBI Expands Global Operations Against Scam Compounds
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“Scam compounds are not just call centers. They are organized criminal enterprises built to steal from Americans, launder money, and exploit people at scale,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement.
Patel added, as reported by the media outlet, “We helped free nearly 2,000 trafficked workers, shut down more than $8 billion in scam center fraud, and arrested nearly 300 people.”
In Dubai, the FBI and local authorities arrested 275 suspects, six of whom are expected to face extradition to the US. Each of the nine raided compounds allegedly generated roughly $6 million annually through fraud.
The FBI also partnered with Starlink to track scammers using satellite internet terminals, leading to the suspension of over 7,000 terminals in Myanmar.
Authorities said complaints filed with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center in 2025 exposed nearly $7.5 billion in crypto-related fraud losses, though officials believe the actual figure is significantly higher.
