{"investigation":{"slug":"doj-scam-center-strike-force-276-arrest-global-operation-2026","entity_name":"DOJ Scam Center Strike Force — 276-Arrest Global Operation (2026)","trust_score":92,"severity_base":null,"score_modifier":0,"confidence":0.95,"status":"published","content_type":"investigation","summary":"In 2026, U.S. authorities announced a series of actions against Southeast Asian cryptocurrency scam centers: an April 23, 2026 DOJ Scam Center Strike Force complaint against two Chinese nationals tied to Myanmar's Shunda compound, a separate April 29, 2026 international operation led by Dubai Police that produced at least 276 arrests, and a September 9, 2026 Treasury/OFAC sanctions action against the Xinbi Guarantee marketplace. The entity name conflates two related but distinct efforts — the DOJ-led Scam Center Strike Force and the Dubai-Police-led 276-arrest operation — which this page treats together while noting the distinction. The underlying scam centers are alleged to rely on trafficked and forced labor, and U.S. agencies report cumulative cryptocurrency seizures exceeding $580 million tied to the broader crackdown.","sections":[{"content":"This page's title groups two distinct but related U.S. government actions under one name, which can be misleading. The 'DOJ Scam Center Strike Force' is a standing interagency task force — formed in November 2025 by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, DOJ's Criminal Division, the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, and IRS Criminal Investigation — that targets cryptocurrency-enabled scam compounds in Southeast Asia. Its April 23, 2026 action charged two Chinese nationals linked to the Shunda compound in Myanmar. Separately, the '276-arrest' operation announced April 29, 2026 was a distinct international law-enforcement action spearheaded by Dubai Police under the UAE Ministry of Interior, with parallel U.S. charges filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California; the DOJ's own press material on that operation does not use the term 'Scam Center Strike Force.' Readers should not assume the 276 arrests were carried out by, or under the authority of, the D.C.-based Strike Force.","heading":"Note on Title Accuracy","sources":[{"url":"https://www.irs.gov/node/159616","name":"DOJ/USAO-SDCA — Coordinated takedown of scam centers leads to at least 276 arrests (IRS-CI republication)","type":"regulatory","credibility":1},{"url":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/scam-center-strike-force-takes-major-actions-against-southeast-asian-scam-centers","name":"DOJ/USAO-DC — Scam Center Strike Force takes major actions against Southeast Asian scam centers","type":"regulatory","credibility":1}],"severity":"low"},{"content":"On April 29, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that an international operation led by Dubai Police, under the UAE Ministry of Interior, in cooperation with the FBI, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California, DOJ's Criminal Division, the U.S. Secret Service, IRS-CI, and China's Ministry of Public Security, had resulted in at least 276 arrests and the dismantling of at least nine alleged cryptocurrency investment scam centers. Dubai Police reportedly arrested 275 people, with the Royal Thai Police arresting one additional person. U.S. prosecutors in San Diego unsealed charges against several individuals allegedly tied to the operations, including Thet Min Nyi (a Burmese national, charged in a March 2026 indictment and listed as a fugitive in the case caption despite being described elsewhere as arrested by Dubai Police), Wiliang Awang and Andreas Chandra (Indonesian nationals), and Lisa Mariam (an Indonesian national). Victims, described by prosecutors as having lost millions of dollars, were allegedly defrauded through 'pig butchering' romance/investment schemes and encouraged to borrow money or take out loans to invest further. All charges are allegations; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.","heading":"The April 29, 2026 Coordinated Takedown (276 Arrests)","sources":[{"url":"https://www.irs.gov/node/159616","name":"IRS-CI — Coordinated takedown of scam centers leads to at least 276 arrests; alleged managers and recruiters charged in San Diego","type":"regulatory","credibility":1},{"url":"https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/police-dismantles-9-crypto-investment-scam-centers-arrests-276-suspects/","name":"BleepingComputer — Police dismantles 9 crypto investment scam centers, arrests 276 suspects","type":"news_article","credibility":2},{"url":"https://www.foxnews.com/tech/global-scam-crackdown-leads-276-arrests","name":"Fox News — Global scam crackdown leads to 276 arrests","type":"news_article","credibility":2},{"url":"https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2026/05/08/doj-international-takedown-of-cryptocurrency-scam-centers-nets-276-arrests/","name":"Breitbart — DOJ international takedown of cryptocurrency scam centers nets 276 arrests","type":"news_article","credibility":3}],"severity":"critical"},{"content":"Separately, on April 23, 2026 (with the release updated April 28, 2026), the DOJ's Scam Center Strike Force unsealed criminal complaints against two Chinese nationals, Huang Xingshan and Jiang Wen Jie, alleging they managed and supervised the Shunda scam compound in Min Let Pan, Burma (Myanmar). Prosecutors allege the compound operated from at least January 2025 until approximately November 2025, when it was seized by the Karen National Liberation Army, and that Huang acted as a high-level manager and enforcer who allegedly used violence against trafficked workers, while Jiang allegedly supervised workers' fraud activity. Both men were reportedly arrested by Thai authorities in early 2026 on immigration-related charges and remain in Thai custody pending a potential U.S. extradition request; no extradition timeline has been confirmed. The same announcement included additional actions: seizure of a Telegram channel with over 6,000 followers used to recruit scam-center workers, seizure of more than 503 fraudulent investment-platform domains under 'Operation Level Up,' restraint of more than $700 million in cryptocurrency alleged to be laundering proceeds, OFAC sanctions against Cambodian Senator Kok An, businessman Rithy Raksmei, and associates, and a State Department reward of up to $10 million for information on proceeds tied to the Tai Chang scam centers. These are allegations; the defendants have not been convicted.","heading":"Related Charges: Shunda Compound (Myanmar) and Strike Force Actions of April 23, 2026","sources":[{"url":"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/scam-center-strike-force-takes-major-actions-against-southeast-asian-scam-centers-targeting","name":"DOJ/USAO-DC — Scam Center Strike Force takes major actions against Southeast Asian scam centers targeting Americans","type":"regulatory","credibility":1},{"url":"https://www.foxnews.com/politics/doj-charges-2-chinese-nationals-allegedly-ran-overseas-cryptocurrency-scam-center-targeting-americans","name":"Fox News — DOJ charges 2 Chinese nationals who allegedly ran overseas cryptocurrency scam center targeting Americans","type":"news_article","credibility":2},{"url":"https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/asian-scam-centers-crypto-fraud-april-2026/","name":"Chainalysis — Asian scam centers and crypto fraud (April 2026)","type":"research","credibility":2}],"severity":"critical"},{"content":"The Scam Center Strike Force was launched in November 2025 by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, DOJ's Criminal Division, the FBI, and the U.S. Secret Service, later joined by IRS-CI, to target cryptocurrency-enabled scam operations based in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos. On February 26, 2026, the U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C. and IRS-CI announced that the Strike Force's cumulative freezes and seizures of cryptocurrency tied to Chinese transnational criminal organizations had topped $580 million (reported variously as $580 million and, in a quoted official statement, $578 million); The Block reported the same figure. The FBI's related 'Operation Level Up' separately reported notifying nearly 9,000 potential victims and estimated it had helped prevent approximately $562.7 million in further losses as of April 2026. Officials estimate the broader Southeast Asian scam-center industry costs Americans roughly $10 billion per year, consistent with FBI IC3 data showing investment-scam losses rising from $3.96 billion (2023) to $5.8 billion (2024) and over $7.2 billion (2025). A later, smaller-outlet report described a cumulative total approaching $938 million after the September 2026 Xinbi-related seizure, but this figure could not be confirmed against an official DOJ or Treasury release and is treated here as unverified.","heading":"Broader Scam Center Strike Force Initiative and Cumulative Financial Seizures","sources":[{"url":"https://www.irs.gov/compliance/criminal-investigation/dc-scam-center-strike-force-seizures-of-cryptocurrency-from-chinese-transnational-criminals-tops-580-million","name":"IRS Criminal Investigation — D.C. Scam Center Strike Force seizures of cryptocurrency from Chinese transnational criminals tops $580 million","type":"regulatory","credibility":1},{"url":"https://www.theblock.co/post/391576/us-strike-force-freezes-and-seizes-over-580-million-in-crypto-tied-to-chinese-crime-networks","name":"The Block — US strike force freezes and seizes over $580 million in crypto tied to Chinese crime networks","type":"news_article","credibility":2},{"url":"https://www.ballardspahr.com/insights/alerts-and-articles/2025/11/us-government-launches-inter-agency-effort-to-combat-online-cryptocurrency-fraud-schemes","name":"Ballard Spahr — US government launches inter-agency effort to combat online cryptocurrency fraud schemes","type":"research","credibility":2}],"severity":"high"},{"content":"On September 9, 2026, Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Xinbi Guarantee, a Chinese-language online marketplace, as a transnational criminal organization under Executive Order 13581 (as amended by Executive Order 13863), alleging it provided escrow and other services supporting scam operators, money launderers, and cybercrime groups linked to Southeast Asian scam centers. OFAC also designated two companies for allegedly providing material support to Xinbi: Anwen Technology Co., Ltd. (Cambodia-based developer of the XinbiPay/NewPay wallet) and SafeW Technology Co., Ltd. (Singapore-based developer of the SafeW encrypted-messaging app). Treasury estimated Xinbi's marketplace had processed more than $24 billion in digital-asset and fiat value since roughly 2022; blockchain-analytics firm TRM Labs separately estimated throughput exceeding $36 billion, including $17 billion in inflows, and said the XinbiPay wallet's hot wallet alone took in $94.6 million in December 2025. The action was coordinated with a same-day DOJ Scam Center Strike Force seizure of Xinbi-linked infrastructure and wallets, and followed an earlier UK sanctions action against Xinbi on March 26, 2026. Chainalysis and TRM Labs both linked Xinbi to the Prince Group and Jin Bei Group networks and noted alleged use by actors including North Korea-linked hackers. Separately, the U.S. Secret Service and blockchain firm Elliptic reported identifying and freezing an additional $52.8 million in cryptoassets linked to Xinbi Guarantee around the same time.","heading":"Treasury/OFAC Sanctions Against Xinbi Guarantee (September 2026)","sources":[{"url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0624","name":"U.S. Department of the Treasury — Press release sb0624","type":"regulatory","credibility":1},{"url":"https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/ofac-sanctions-xinbi-cybercriminal-crypto-marketplace/","name":"Chainalysis — OFAC sanctions Xinbi, a cybercriminal crypto marketplace","type":"research","credibility":2},{"url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/the-us-sanctions-xinbi-one-of-southeast-asias-largest-illicit-crypto-marketplaces","name":"TRM Labs — The US sanctions Xinbi, one of Southeast Asia's largest illicit crypto marketplaces","type":"research","credibility":2}],"severity":"high"},{"content":"U.S. officials and United Nations human-rights investigators allege that the Southeast Asian scam centers targeted by these enforcement actions rely substantially on trafficked and forced labor. IRS Criminal Investigation has stated that workers inside the compounds are often victims of human trafficking, held against their will, physically abused, and guarded by armed groups. DOJ's April 23, 2026 complaint alleges that workers at the Shunda compound were trafficked and forced to carry out fraud, and that one defendant personally took part in physical punishment of workers. A February 2026 UN human rights office report, 'A Wicked Problem,' described hundreds of thousands of victims from at least 66 countries lured by fake job offers into scam compounds — about three-quarters of them in the Mekong region — where it documented allegations of beatings, sexual abuse, forced abortions, and solitary confinement; it cited earlier (2023) UN estimates of at least 120,000 people held in Myanmar compounds and 100,000 in Cambodia. These trafficking allegations are corroborated across Tier 1 government and UN sources, though individual victim accounts remain difficult to independently verify.","heading":"Alleged Forced Labor and Human Trafficking at Scam Compounds","sources":[{"url":"https://www.irs.gov/compliance/criminal-investigation/dc-scam-center-strike-force-seizures-of-cryptocurrency-from-chinese-transnational-criminals-tops-580-million","name":"IRS Criminal Investigation — D.C. Scam Center Strike Force seizures top $580 million","type":"regulatory","credibility":1},{"url":"https://www.ungeneva.org/en/news-media/news/2026/02/116099/un-report-exposes-torture-rape-southeast-asias-multi-billion-dollar","name":"UN Geneva — UN report exposes torture, rape in Southeast Asia's multi-billion-dollar scam industry","type":"official","credibility":1},{"url":"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/scam-center-strike-force-takes-major-actions-against-southeast-asian-scam-centers-targeting","name":"DOJ/USAO-DC — Scam Center Strike Force takes major actions against Southeast Asian scam centers targeting Americans","type":"regulatory","credibility":1}],"severity":"critical"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2025-11","event":"DOJ's Scam Center Strike Force is formed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, DOJ's Criminal Division, the FBI, and the U.S. Secret Service to target Southeast Asian scam-center networks.","source":"Ballard Spahr","source_url":"https://www.ballardspahr.com/insights/alerts-and-articles/2025/11/us-government-launches-inter-agency-effort-to-combat-online-cryptocurrency-fraud-schemes"},{"date":"2025-11","event":"The alleged Shunda scam compound in Min Let Pan, Myanmar, is seized by the Karen National Liberation Army, per DOJ's later charging document.","source":"DOJ/USAO-DC press release","source_url":"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/scam-center-strike-force-takes-major-actions-against-southeast-asian-scam-centers-targeting"},{"date":"2026-02-26","event":"DOJ/IRS-CI announce the Scam Center Strike Force's cumulative crypto seizures from Chinese transnational criminal organizations have topped $580 million.","source":"The Block","source_url":"https://www.theblock.co/post/391576/us-strike-force-freezes-and-seizes-over-580-million-in-crypto-tied-to-chinese-crime-networks","date_evidence":"The U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C. and IRS-CI announced on February 26, 2026 that cumulative cryptocurrency freezes and seizures had topped $580 million."},{"date":"2026-03","event":"The United Kingdom sanctions Xinbi Guarantee, ahead of the later U.S. action.","source":"TRM Labs","source_url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/the-us-sanctions-xinbi-one-of-southeast-asias-largest-illicit-crypto-marketplaces","date_original":"2026-03-26"},{"date":"2026-04-23","event":"DOJ's Scam Center Strike Force unseals charges against Huang Xingshan and Jiang Wen Jie over the alleged Shunda compound scam operation in Myanmar; announces related seizures, sanctions, and a $10 million State Department reward.","source":"DOJ/USAO-DC press release","source_url":"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/scam-center-strike-force-takes-major-actions-against-southeast-asian-scam-centers-targeting","date_evidence":"The press release is dated Thursday, April 23, 2026, and was updated April 28, 2026."},{"date":"2026-04-29","event":"DOJ announces that an international operation led by Dubai Police, with the FBI and China's Ministry of Public Security, resulted in at least 276 arrests and the dismantling of at least nine scam centers; parallel charges unsealed in San Diego.","source":"IRS Criminal Investigation (republishing DOJ/USAO-SDCA release)","source_url":"https://www.irs.gov/node/159616","date_evidence":"The release is dated April 29, 2026."},{"date":"2026-09-09","event":"Treasury/OFAC sanctions Xinbi Guarantee and two affiliated companies, Anwen Technology and SafeW Technology, as a transnational criminal organization; DOJ's Strike Force conducts a coordinated seizure of related infrastructure.","source":"U.S. Department of the Treasury","source_url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0624","date_evidence":"OFAC sanctioned Xinbi Guarantee on September 9, 2026"}],"sources_used":[{"url":"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/scam-center-strike-force-takes-major-actions-against-southeast-asian-scam-centers-targeting","name":"DOJ/USAO-DC — Scam Center Strike Force takes major actions against Southeast Asian scam centers targeting Americans","type":"regulatory","archive_url":"http://web.archive.org/web/20261028083616/https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/scam-center-strike-force-takes-major-actions-against-southeast-asian-scam-centers-targeting","credibility":1,"archive_timestamp":"2026-10-28T08:36:16+00:00"},{"url":"https://www.irs.gov/node/159616","name":"IRS-CI — Coordinated takedown of scam centers leads to at least 276 arrests; alleged managers and recruiters charged in San Diego","type":"regulatory","archive_url":null,"credibility":1,"archive_timestamp":null},{"url":"https://www.irs.gov/compliance/criminal-investigation/dc-scam-center-strike-force-seizures-of-cryptocurrency-from-chinese-transnational-criminals-tops-580-million","name":"IRS Criminal Investigation — D.C. 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