Coinbase Helps DOJ Freeze $3.8M in Scam Crypto
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Coinbase Helps DOJ Freeze $3.8M in Scam Crypto

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Coinbase Helps DOJ Freeze $3.8M in Scam Crypto

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Crypto News

US authorities and several technology firms have run a coordinated operation against crypto fraud networks, freezing more than $3.8 million in cryptocurrency. It also led to 63 arrests, according to the US Department of Justice.

The DOJ ran the campaign through its Scam Center Strike Force and named it "Disruption Week." Nine private companies took part: Apple, Coinbase, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Silent Push, SpaceX, TRM Labs and Zenlayer.

Coinbase accounted for most of the frozen funds. The exchange said it locked more than $3 million in assets tied to the criminal networks. Across the full operation, more than 1.4 million accounts were disabled, the company said.

The fraud networks did not rely on crypto alone. Investigators terminated thousands of Starlink kits used by the operations, per Coinbase. They also took down servers and hosting infrastructure across Southeast Asia.

Arrests Span Thailand and Beyond

Thai authorities made the first arrests. The Royal Thai Police Anti-Cyber Scam Center detained seven people during the operation, the DOJ said. Officials flagged more suspects and platforms for US prosecutors to review.

Meta took a coordinating role and recruited other firms to join, the department said. Three US agencies supplied intelligence: the FBI, the US Secret Service, and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations.

The campaign extended past US borders. Police agencies from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Thailand, and the UK joined what the DOJ called a first-of-its-kind event. "One of the best tools we have in combatting these illicit actors is our partnerships and they are only getting stronger," FBI Director Kash Patel said in the statement.

Crypto Fraud Losses Hit $7.2B

The operation comes as reported fraud rises. Losses from crypto investment scams reached more than $7.2 billion in 2025, according to FBI data. That total rose 24% from 2024 and sits well above the $3.96 billion recorded in 2023.

Much of the activity traces to scam compounds near the Thai border, the DOJ said. The sites operate in Cambodia, Laos and Burma. Operators often recruit workers with false job offers, then force them to defraud victims in the US and other countries.

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