- The US authorities unsealed indictments against forced labour scam center operators in Myanmar and Cambodia.
- The authorities seized 150+ fake domain names as part of an investigation into the operation of fake domain names criminals use to capture sensitive information or funds.
- The Treasury Department has placed eight entities on the OFAC Sanctions List, it freezes their assets located in the U.S. and prohibits American citizens from conducting business with these entities.
The U.S. Department of Justice has released significant enforcement measures intended to combat criminal activities in Southeast Asia. The Scam Center Strike Force, created in late 2025 as a specialized unit to investigate and prosecute large-scale fraudulent schemes, announced the new actions. on April 23, 2026.
The crackdown focuses on large-scale fraud centers operating primarily in Myanmar and Cambodia. These facilities employ forced labour to conduct online scams that have victimized tens of thousands of Americans. Federal authorities have unsealed multiple indictments and taken down critical infrastructure supporting these criminal enterprises.
Federal Courts Unseal Indictments Against Scam Center Operators
The District of Arizona and the Central District of California have unsealed criminal charges against individuals allegedly running forced labour scam operations. The indictments name leaders who controlled compounds where traffickers held workers against their will. These workers were forced to perpetrate various online fraud schemes targeting Americans across the country.
Several of the indicted individuals are currently in law enforcement custody. Earlier this week, authorities in Singapore arrested two of the accused operators. The Department of Justice is working hard to get these individuals to come to America, and they will stand trial for their crimes in the United States.
In October 2025, the Scam Center Strike Force and its partners announced the launch of an inter-agency working group. The Indian Home Ministry has also joined this new collaborative initiative. The working group includes representatives from federal law enforcement agencies, international partners, and major technology companies.
These scam centers do not operate in isolation. They function across multiple jurisdictions with complex money laundering networks spanning several countries. Criminal groups coordinate their operations from command centers located in regions with limited law enforcement oversight.
The same international coordination challenges exist in dark web drug trafficking. Australian police recently charged a suspect in an $80 million drug ring that operated across borders, highlighting the global nature of modern organized crime and the need for cross-border law enforcement cooperation.
US Government Seizes Domains and Issues Sanctions Against Chinese Nationals
The DOJ announced the confiscation of 150+ domains linked to scams. These website domains had fake businesses that deceived victims into sending money to criminals. The seizure of domains essentially closes off critical infrastructure to pass fake money through scam networks.
The FBI played a central role in locating these sites and shutting them down. The agency has made fighting transnational organized crime a big focus area because there are thousands of victims in these schemes each year.
The US Department of the Treasury also announced sanctions targeting three Chinese nationals and a Thai national. These individuals run a company called Mani that manages scam operations across Myanmar and Cambodia. The Treasury Department added eight entities connected to these individuals to the Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions list.
OFAC sanctions freeze all assets that designated individuals hold within the US financial system. American citizens and companies are also prohibited from conducting any business transactions with sanctioned parties. These financial restrictions severely limit the operational capabilities of targeted criminal networks.
The sanctions represent the fourth round of designations under Executive Order 14142. President Biden issued this executive order on March 10, 2025, specifically targeting the global forced labor scam industry. The order gives the Treasury Department authority to block property and restrict financial transactions of individuals involved in these operations.
Former Government Officials Praised the Coordinated Enforcement Approach
Former government officials from both US political parties have endorsed the coordinated action of numerous federal agencies to combat these scams. The strategy specifically involves the combination of criminal enforcement, financial penalties, and dismantling bank and technology networks used for criminal activity in Southeast Asian scam operations.
Also, the investigation of additional targets in the Southeast Asian scam factory continues through the Scam Center Strike Force. Federal prosecutors have made it clear that these announcements are only the first round of actions, and more indictments and penalties will occur as more investigations continue to produce more information on scammers.
According to research from the International Labour Organization, the scale and scope of the forced labour abuse in these scams is great. Many victims respond to fraudulent advertisements for jobs in the United States or Canada.
When victims arrive at such places, the human traffickers will immediately capture them by seizing their documentation and passports and forcing them to work in horrific conditions without an avenue of escape.
The former National Cyber Director Chris Inglis has indicated that the scam center crisis requires a whole government response. The criminal organizations that run these scams will quickly adjust once law enforcement takes down one part of their operations. That means that applying continued pressure on criminals across multiple fronts will provide the best chance to stop this billion-dollar scam industry.
The US continues coordinating with regional partners, including Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia. These countries serve as transit points for victims and also host some scam operations. International cooperation remains essential for dismantling criminal networks that operate across national borders.
