FBI-Backed Takedown Hits Crypto Scam Centers

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The operation, led by Dubai authorities with support from the FBI and international partners, targeted a series of scam centers accused scams responsible for defrauding millions of dollars from American victims and others worldwide. Federal prosecutors in San Diego on Wednesday unsealed charges against multiple alleged operators, managers and recruiters linked to the schemes in what officials described as one of the most extensive U.S.-assisted enforcement actions yet against transnational cyber-enabled fraud networks.

Dubai Police apprehended Thet Min Nyi, a Myanmar national accused of running a scam out of the emirate city. Thai police arrested an unnamed alleged scammer.

“The charges and arrests announced today reflect an international consensus that scam centers are unwelcome everywhere and must be rooted out,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duvasaid in a statement.

The crackdown comes as U.S. authorities lean on foreign law enforcement partnerships to disrupt fraud infrastructure and cyber-based scamming rather than solely pursuing financial recovery or victim notification. Officials described the case as part of a major effort to treat cyber-enabled financial crimes as a transnational threat similar to other organized criminal activity (see: Breach Roundup: Myanmar Scam Compound Managers Charged).

The charged defendants were linked to several entities described as scam companies, including Ko Thet Company, Sanduo Group and Giant Company, which allegedly operated coordinated fraud campaigns across multiple jurisdictions. The indictment unsealed in San Diego alleges the conspiracy dates back to at least 2024 and continued through early March 2026, with operators coordinating activity across the U.S. and overseas via interstate and foreign wire communications.

The charging documents also describe how members of the network relied on fabricated online personas – including stolen or staged images – to conceal their identities and build trust with victims before sending investment pitches.

Prosecutors allege the groups used traditional social engineering tactics to build relationships with victims, often posing as romantic partners or trusted contacts before steering them into fraudulent cryptocurrency investments hosted on fake platforms. Once victims transferred their funds, the assets were quickly moved through a network of cryptocurrency accounts controlled by the operators to further complicate recovery efforts.

The indictment details how victims were directed to fraudulent platforms such as CoinswiftTrading and SwiftLedger, which the fraudulent operators used to give the appearance of credible investment activities.

Among those charged are alleged organizers and mid-level managers accused of overseeing operations within the compounds, recruiting workers and coordinating fraud campaigns targeting U.S. citizens.

The enforcement action builds on earlier FBI initiatives like Operation Level Up, which has focused on proactively identifying victims of cryptocurrency scams and disrupting fraud attempts before funds are fully transferred.