Intensified Anti-Fraud Efforts
Colin McDonald, the Assistant Attorney General for National Fraud Enforcement, highlights the expansive scope of federal efforts to combat fraud. In an aggressive initiative, a task force executed over 450 significant law enforcement actions in just 52 days. These actions included search warrants, arrests, and convictions. McDonald stresses the importance of collaboration with state authorities and public whistleblowers in prosecuting those exploiting the elderly and vulnerable.
International Anti-Scam Operation
A vast anti-scam initiative led by Meta, with support from the FBI, Department of Justice, Microsoft, Coinbase, and Starlink, was announced. This operation resulted in 63 arrests, the freezing of millions in cryptocurrency, and the elimination of over a million scam-related online accounts. Meta described this as its largest anti-scam operation, bringing technology companies, financial platforms, and law enforcement together to counteract extensive fraud networks.
Operation Details and Global Cooperation
The operation spanned multiple countries, starting on May 18, and included the DOJ’s Scam Center Strike Force, led by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Participants included the FBI, Royal Thai Police, Microsoft, Coinbase, Starlink, and law enforcement from the U.K., Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Thailand. Thai authorities, in particular, arrested 63 individuals connected to scam networks.
Targeting Fraud Networks
The operation targeted fraudulent organizations accused of stealing billions from Americans through romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud, and other schemes. Many are based in Southeast Asia and linked to forced-labor compounds and transnational crime groups. Some workers in these scam centers are trafficking victims coerced into fraudulent activities.
“Protecting people around the world from scams is one of our highest priorities,” said Chris Sonderby, Meta’s vice president and deputy general counsel.
Impactful Outcomes
Meta removed approximately 1.4 million scam accounts from its platforms. Coinbase froze over $3 million in cryptocurrency assets. Microsoft disabled 20,000 accounts associated with scams. Starlink disrupted internet terminals linked to the networks. Subsequent investigations were launched following the identification of numerous previously unknown scam centers.
Growing Scale of Operations
This was Meta’s third operation in collaboration with the DOJ Scam Center Strike Force since December 2025. The scale has significantly increased, with scam assets removed growing from 59,000 in December to 1.4 million in the most recent action. Across all efforts, over 1.6 million scam accounts were dismantled, resulting in 84 arrests facilitated by Meta’s intelligence shared with the Royal Thai Police.