The U.S. government has unveiled a new Scam Center Strike Force aimed at dismantling large-scale overseas “pig butchering” networks, cryptocurrency-based scams that have defrauded Americans of billions of dollars. The announcement on November 12, 2025, marks one of the most coordinated federal crackdowns yet on transnational crime syndicates operating across Southeast Asia.
Coordinated Federal Action
The new interagency task force, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, will unify the efforts of several key departments, including the Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of the Treasury, and Department of State.
According to officials, this joint approach is necessary to combat the complex web of transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) that operate scam compounds, often using crypto transfers to conceal illicit profits. The Strike Force’s primary goal is to disrupt these international networks, recover stolen assets, and assist victims.
Sanctions Target Burmese Crime Hubs
In conjunction with the Strike Force announcement, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued sweeping sanctions against individuals and entities in Burma (Myanmar) linked to scam operations.
The targeted groups include the Karen National Union/Karen National Army (KNU/KNA) militia, which allegedly controls parts of the Thai-Burmese border region where multiple scam centers are based. OFAC also sanctioned associated companies and a Thai national accused of facilitating financial and logistical support for the illicit schemes.
Funding Crime and Conflict
U.S. authorities say the funds stolen through these scams, often totaling billions of dollars annually, are used not only to enrich the criminal networks but also to finance ongoing conflict in Burma’s civil war.
Officials warned that many scam victims are lured into fraudulent crypto investment platforms, while trafficked workers are forced to operate these schemes under brutal conditions inside guarded compounds.
Escalating Enforcement Efforts
The crackdown follows several high-profile investigations, including a $15 billion crypto seizure last month from a Cambodia-based operation tied to similar scam networks.
“The government will continue to use all the tools we possess to pursue these cybercriminals, wherever they are located, and protect American families from their exploitation,” said John Hurley, Treasury’s Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.
Authorities emphasized that the Strike Force’s creation reflects a broader strategy: no single agency can confront the global scale of crypto-enabled scams alone. By combining investigative, financial, and diplomatic tools, Washington aims to choke off the funding pipelines sustaining Southeast Asia’s most notorious digital fraud operations.
