Global crypto sweep nets 276 arrests in U.S.-targeted scams
Authorities arrested 276 people and dismantled nine scam centers in a multinational operation targeting cryptocurrency investment fraud that preyed on U.S. victims.
On April 29, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice announced arrests of 276 people and the dismantling of nine alleged cryptocurrency scam centers in a coordinated international operation. The enforcement action focused on schemes that targeted Americans and moved victims’ digital assets beyond their control.
The Justice Department credited “unprecedented cooperation between the FBI, Dubai Police Department, and Chinese Ministry of Public Security” for the arrests and takedowns. Dubai authorities made 275 arrests, including three people charged in cases filed in San Diego; Thailand’s Royal Thai Police arrested an additional defendant, officials reported.
Prosecutors described the schemes as using “pig-butchering” tactics: operators built online relationships, sometimes posing as friends or romantic partners, then pressured victims to invest. Victims were encouraged to open accounts on platforms that appeared legitimate, to transfer cryptocurrency, to borrow or take loans, and to increase deposits. Platforms showed fake account activity; once assets were moved, victims lost access and funds were rerouted to accounts controlled by the operators.
The DOJ added: “The fake platforms put the victims’ funds in the hands of the scammers, who then laundered the victims’ funds to other cryptocurrency accounts, including their own.” Investigators identified victims through reports to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, interviews with victims, and financial records.
The criminal complaints filed in San Diego name defendants including Thet Min Nyi, Wiliang Awang, Andreas Chandra and Lisa Mariam, along with two individuals listed as fugitives. Prosecutors linked the activity to companies identified as Ko Thet Company, Sanduo Group and Giant Company. Alleged roles ranged from managers and recruiters to onsite staff across multiple jurisdictions.
The FBI’s San Diego office opened its inquiry in 2025 after tracing companies and people connected to the scam compounds. Metropolitan social platforms provided information used in the probe, according to officials. Charges in the San Diego indictments include wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy, each carrying a maximum prison term of 20 years and fines that depend on the charge and the financial loss or gain. The indictment against Thet Min Nyi and a fugitive co-defendant includes criminal forfeiture allegations.
Officials described the operation as targeting the infrastructure that enabled cross-border crypto fraud rather than only individual phone or online scammers. The action involved the FBI, Dubai Police, China’s Ministry of Public Security, Thailand’s Royal Thai Police and other partners. The case follows broader FBI San Diego work on crypto fraud, including an effort that had notified nearly 9,000 victims and prevented an estimated $562 million in losses as of April 2026.
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