At least 276 individuals have been arrested, and 9 crypto scam centers dismantled following a coordinated international effort.
The crackdown was the result of cooperation among the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Dubai Police, and the Chinese Ministry of Public Security.
Authorities Charge Six in Global Crypto “Pig-Butchering” Takedown
According to the official release, Dubai Police arrested 275 of the suspects. The Royal Thai Police arrested an additional defendant.
Moreover, federal prosecutors charged six defendants with federal fraud and money laundering. The six accused allegedly managed, worked at, or recruited for companies that ran scam centers.
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The compounds preyed on American victims, who collectively lost millions of dollars to such schemes. All six defendants are accused of orchestrating crypto investment scams commonly referred to as “pig-butchering.”
A pig-butchering scam is a fraud where criminals build a fake romantic or friendly relationship online over weeks or months. They then lure victims into investing in fraudulent crypto or trading platforms, and then take everything.
US Attorney Adam Gordon framed the operation as a turning point for cross-border fraud enforcement.
“These scammers thought they were safe half a world away. But their world has changed. Global crime now faces global justice,” he said.
The arrests follow a broader push by the US against crypto investment fraud networks. Last week, authorities restrained more than $700 million in cryptocurrency and filed wire fraud conspiracy charges against two Chinese nationals accused of running scam compounds.
In a separate case, a US District Judge a Bitcoin heiress in another fraud case.
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