The U.S. Department of Justice's Scam Center Strike Force has seized $580 million in digital assets tied to sophisticated "pig butchering" scams. These operations are run by Chinese transnational criminal organizations. The task force, established last November, targets scam compounds primarily in Southeast Asia, dismantling the global infrastructure behind crypto investment fraud.
Attorney Jeanine Pirro highlighted the significant recovery, noting the criminals' intent to steal from Americans for Chinese organized crime. Pig butchering scams involve romance and investment fraud, luring victims with emotional intimacy before directing them to fake trading platforms. Operators in Burma, Cambodia, and Laos use social media and text messages to identify targets.
The strike force comprises prosecutors from the DOJ's Criminal Division, the FBI, the Secret Service, and the IRS's criminal investigation unit.