Tech Giants and Law Enforcement Collaborate to Dismantle Asian Scam Syndicate

A cross-sector collaboration between global technology companies and international law enforcement agencies—including Meta, Microsoft, Coinbase, Starlink, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Royal Thai Police, the FBI, and the CIA—has successfully dismantled an online scam network operating in Southeast Asia. The joint operation, which also involved law enforcement from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Thailand, took place in Washington, D.C. and Bangkok.

According to a press release received in Jakarta on Saturday, more than one million digital assets were seized, cryptocurrency assets valued at over $3 million (approximately Rp54.28 billion) were frozen, and 6lar 63 individuals suspected of involvement in the syndicate were arrested. Microsoft also suspended around 20,000 accounts linked to the online scam syndicate. Meanwhile, Coinbase froze over $3 million in crypto assets, and Starlink disconnected thousands of devices suspected of being used illegally.

In addition to direct enforcement actions, the exchange of intelligence between companies and law enforcement agencies successfully identified various locations and potential fraud networks, which were subsequently reported for further action by authorities. The Scam Center Strike Force of the DOJ has been bringing together technology companies and law enforcement agencies for this operation since 18 May. Throughout the week, the parties shared information and findings that helped connect scattered data across multiple platforms to identify perpetrators and thwart fraudulent activities. As this network operated across borders and platforms, collaboration between the technology industry, financial institutions, governments, and law enforcement is considered key to suppressing digital crime at its source.