[EMBARGO] Meta leads largest-ever anti-scam operation with FBI and DOJ, resulting in 63 arrests

A sweeping anti-scam cognition led by Meta and backed by the FBI, Department of Justice, Microsoft, Coinbase and Starlink resulted successful 63 arrests, millions of dollars successful frozen cryptocurrency and the removal of much than a cardinal scam-related online accounts, officials announced Tuesday.

Meta said the cognition was the company’s largest anti-scam cognition to day and described it arsenic the archetypal coordinated anti-scam effort of its benignant for the institution to bring unneurotic large exertion companies, fiscal platforms and instrumentality enforcement agencies to people the broader fraud ecosystem.

The two-week cognition began May 18 and brought unneurotic the DOJ’s Scam Center Strike Force — led by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Ferris Pirro — on with the FBI, the Royal Thai Police, Microsoft, Coinbase, Starlink and different planetary instrumentality enforcement partners.

The effort spanned Washington, D.C., and Thailand and besides included the U.S. Secret Service and instrumentality enforcement agencies from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Thailand.

GLOBAL SCAM CRACKDOWN LEADS TO 276 ARRESTS

Thai authorities arrested 63 radical allegedly connected to scam centers during a multinational crackdown targeting fraud networks that prey connected Americans. (Meta)

The cognition targeted transgression scam networks that authorities accidental bargain billions of dollars from Americans each twelvemonth done romance scams, cryptocurrency concern fraud and different fraudulent schemes. Officials said galore of the organizations run from forced-labor compounds successful Southeast Asia linked to transnational organized transgression groups.

Authorities person besides warned that immoderate radical moving wrong Southeast Asian scam compounds are trafficking victims coerced into carrying retired fraud, portion instrumentality enforcement efforts person focused connected alleged organizers, recruiters, wealth launderers and web operators.

"Protecting radical astir the satellite from scams is 1 of our highest priorities," Chris Sonderby, Meta’s vice president and lawman wide counsel, said successful a statement.

Sonderby said the cognition "demonstrates the powerfulness of partnerships to combat scammers."

GLOBAL TASK FORCE DISMANTLES 'PIG-BUTCHERING' CRYPTO FRAUD RINGS PREYING ON AMERICANS

Law enforcement agencies from aggregate countries coordinated efforts to disrupt scam compounds operating successful Southeast Asia. (Meta)

"We’re arrogant to spouse with manufacture and DOJ, FBI, Royal Thai Police, and different instrumentality enforcement agencies successful taking this planetary combat straight to these Asia-based scam centers astatine their source," helium added.

As portion of the operation, Meta removed astir 1.4 cardinal scam accounts, pages and groups from Facebook and Instagram.

The Royal Thai Police arrested 63 individuals allegedly connected to scam centers.

THEY WERE FORCED TO SCAM OTHERS WORLDWIDE; NOW THOUSANDS ARE DETAINED ON THE BURMESE BORDER

Authorities said the cognition targeted transgression organizations progressive successful romance scams, concern fraud and different online schemes. (Meta)

Coinbase froze much than $3 cardinal successful cryptocurrency assets tied to transgression networks.

Microsoft disabled astir 20,000 accounts linked to scam operations, Meta said. Starlink disrupted thousands of net terminals associated with the networks, according to Meta.

Authorities besides identified dozens of antecedently chartless scam compounds and transgression networks, which were referred to instrumentality enforcement agencies for further investigation.

Meta said the effort marked its 3rd associated cognition with the DOJ Scam Center Strike Force since December 2025.

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The standard of the cognition has grown dramatically, from 59,000 scam assets removed successful December to 150,000 successful March and 1.4 cardinal successful the latest crackdown, according to Meta.

Across each 3 operations, the institution said it has removed much than 1.6 cardinal scam accounts, pages and groups and provided quality that helped pb to 84 arrests by the Royal Thai Police.