FBI Launches Historic Global Push Against International Scam Centers

The FBI has started a historic push to wipe out global scam center fraud that steals Americans' life savings and feeds some of the world's most vicious criminal networks. These scam centers are industrial-scale compounds located in cross-border regions on the other side of the world. They are run by transnational criminal syndicates that torture workers, steal billions, and launder money while targeting Americans and our allies alike. It is a massive, highly sophisticated web of criminality.

Thanks to President Donald Trump's decisive leadership and prioritization of the battle against scam centers, this FBI has taken the lead in the fight. The agency treats scam centers as a top priority threat to public safety. This effort is a crucial part of our no-fail mission to crush violent crime and defend the homeland.

Fifteen months ago, we laid out a playbook to dismantle the problem. We went to the source and launched an initiative in Southeast Asia. Partners in India, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, and more helped scuttle compounds and disrupt their communications capabilities. We joined private sector technology and financial industry partners to trace infrastructure, seize malicious domains, follow the money, and hunt down funding streams for leadership. We launched sweeping ops like Operation Blackout to identify, locate, and annihilate the largest international scam compounds in the region.

In just over a year, this playbook has delivered historic results. In April, working side-by-side with Dubai Police and China's Ministry of Public Security, the FBI led Operation Sand Dollar, the largest scam center takedown in our history. We hit nine scam centers run by Asian organized crime actors. That action made 311 arrests. It also seized thousands of devices used to target Americans in the United Arab Emirates. Each of those centers was stealing roughly $6 million a year. Shutting them down meant saving victims $54 million in losses, just from a single operation.

Or look at our work against the Prince Holding Group in Cambodia, a transnational criminal empire running guarded compounds that pumped out global scams. Our takedown, Operation Zephyr Exodus, led to an indictment of their CEO for wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. It also caused the forfeiture of roughly 127,000 Bitcoin, about $15 billion at the time. This was the largest forfeiture in U.S. history. The move ripped out the financial engine of a criminal syndicate that used its ill-gotten gains to attack everyday Americans.

In another operation, we went after the Tai Chang scam compound in Burma, operated by Chinese criminals. We seized domains and $30 million tied to this and other compounds. One more op was a joint effort between the FBI's Bangkok office and our Thai partners. It took down the Shunda compound, linked to hundreds of millions in losses. They'd used a Telegram channel with over 6,000 followers to recruit forced labor into a Cambodian law enforcement impersonation scam, and we seized it.

We are not just reacting after the damage is done. Through Operation Level Up, an FBI initiative supported by the U.S. Secret Service and other partners, we proactively identify potential victims in real time. So far, we have notified nearly 9,000 people. About three-quarters of them did not know they were being scammed. We prevented an estimated $562 million in losses. We also referred dozens of people for suicide intervention. That is what it means to treat this as a no-fail mission.

The scale of our global offensive against scam centers is unprecedented. We've now opened more than 30 FBI cases. We pursued or helped restrain assets valued at more than $15 billion. We have also helped drive hundreds of arrests. The facts show clear progress in stopping these criminal enterprises from harming families across the nation.

The FBI has pulled the plug on more than 7,500 terminals, instantly severing the digital lifeline that powers thousands of scam machines right now. This massive push happens because of a deep cooperation between federal agents and private companies. Just last week, we held the very first Scam Center Summit in Thailand. Dozens of law enforcement groups from 18 nations gathered there to fight back against these criminal operations. The goal is clear: stop foreign gangs from ever taking root again in that region.

These steps did more than keep Americans safe. They helped free thousands of victims who were trapped in forced-labor camps run by traffickers. We are only just beginning this work. It takes a team to win. To defend our country against global scam rings, we need solid partnerships with the Royal Thai Police, Dubai Police, China's Ministry of Public Security, Cambodia's National Police, Indonesia's National Police, and India's Central Bureau of Investigation. When we mix top-tier intelligence with access to foreign police forces, financial sanctions, and advanced tech, these criminals have no place left to hide.

At that summit in Thailand, I told our partners we planned to level these compounds to the ground. This action will show the world what true success looks like. We challenged them to join us for this historic moment first. We will also keep hunting down every leader of these syndicates until they are completely dismantled. Results matter most. The FBI under the Trump administration is dedicated to delivering those results.

This team keeps moving forward. They will tear up compounds, seize billions in stolen money, rescue victims, and give people back their life savings while crushing these networks flat. Bad actors might think they can attack Americans from safe spots overseas. Perhaps they should read what happened recently instead of getting cocky.