US Authorities Freeze Over $3.8M in Crypto Stolen from Americans During 'Disruption Week'
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US authorities and major tech firms like Coinbase, Meta, and Apple froze over $3.8 million in crypto stolen from Americans as part of 'Disruption Week.' The initiative targeted organized crime in Southeast Asia, disrupting millions of scam accounts and leading to seven arrests in Thailand.
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US authorities, in collaboration with major tech firms and international law enforcement, conducted 'Disruption Week' to combat crypto investment fraud targeting Americans. This initiative aimed to disrupt organized crime entities in Southeast Asia.
More than $3.8 million in crypto stolen from Americans was frozen thanks to the joint efforts of major firms like Coinbase, SpaceX, Meta, and Apple alongside law enforcement agencies in America and abroad.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s initiative, dubbed “Disruption Week,” put together private sector firms and government agencies in an effort to take action against organized crime entities in Southeast Asia.
“Cyber-enabled and crypto investment fraud is devastating Main Street Americans, wiping out life savings and preying on some of our most vulnerable citizens,” said U.S. Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro, in a statement.
“We will not allow transnational scammers or the Chinese organized crime groups behind them to use America’s internet infrastructure against us or let U.S. companies stand idly by,” she added.
Amid the collaboration, which also included participation from Google, Meta, and Microsoft, private sector firms “took voluntary action to interrupt millions of social media, email, and internet access accounts” used by criminal actors. Thanks to information held by the government, the firms were then able to freeze the funds.
“Disruption Week shows what is possible when governments and private industry focus their efforts in tandem: millions of scam accounts interrupted, and criminal networks pushed [off] the U.S. internet platforms on which they rely,” Pirro said.
The “Scam Center Strike Force” met in person in Washington D.C. from May 18-21, where they shared information that led to the more than $3.8 million in frozen funds, disruption of more than 1.4 million social media and email accounts, and identification of scammers, including the arrest of seven individuals in Thailand.
“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 a statement.
“We’re preventing further victimization by working with other agencies, our foreign law enforcement counterparts, and the private sector who have all taken part in this Disruption Week,” he added.
Last year, the FBI’s internet crime report indicated that Americans lost nearly $11.4 billion to crypto fraud in 2025—a 22% jump from the previous year.
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Further joint operations between private sector firms and law enforcement agencies to combat crypto fraud.
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Increased regulatory scrutiny on cryptocurrency platforms and exchanges regarding fraud prevention measures.
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Açık Sorular
- What specific methods were used by the criminal actors to conduct the fraud?
- What is the total estimated value of crypto stolen from Americans by these specific organized crime groups?
- Will there be further extraditions or arrests beyond the seven individuals in Thailand?
- What are the long-term strategies for preventing future crypto fraud of this nature?
