How a Global Sting Froze $12M and Took Down 120 Crypto Scam Sites

Operation Atlantic froze $12M in stolen crypto, shut 120 scam sites, and identified 2,000 victims across 30+ countries. Here’s what happened

A single click on a pop-up ad cost victims millions. Scammers posed as legitimate crypto platforms and tricked investors into granting full wallet access. 

Within seconds, funds vanished. 

The U.S. Secret Service, alongside UK and Canadian law enforcement, had seen enough. They launched Operation Atlantic, a week-long international crackdown that disrupted over $45 million in losses and hit criminal networks where it hurt most.

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Operation Atlantic Targets Approval Phishing Crypto Scam

The Secret Service describes the scheme as “approval phishing.” 

Victims encounter what appears to be a credible crypto investment opportunity. A pop-up requests wallet access, framing it as routine. 

One click seals the deal. Criminals drain the wallet instantly.

Operation Atlantic targeted this exact method. Investigators worked in real time, tracking suspicious crypto transactions as they moved across wallets. They identified over 20,000 wallet addresses tied to victims in more than 30 countries. 

More than 3,000 account holders received direct outreach from analysts stationed in Washington D.C., San Francisco, Canada, and England.

The operation also revoked unauthorized access that scammers had quietly maintained. That step alone protected wallets that had not yet been emptied. 

Acting early made the difference between recovery and total loss.

$12M Frozen, 120 Web Domains Dismantled

The numbers tell a serious story. Authorities froze over $12 million transferred from victims’ wallets, holding it in hopes of providing restitution. 

Another $33 million in suspected fraud proceeds is now under active investigation. In total, the operation flagged more than $45 million in losses.

Private-sector partners played a key role. 

Several crypto exchanges collaborated with law enforcement to remove bad actors from their platforms. Through that cooperation, investigators identified and shut down more than 120 web domains used by scammers. 

Each domain represented an active threat to unsuspecting investors.

Brent Daniels, the deputy assistant director of the Secret Service’s Office of Field Operations, said the operation prevented millions in fraud losses and disrupted millions more in fraudulent transactions. 

The goal was to deny criminals the ability to target innocent victims.

International Law Enforcement Unites Against Crypto Fraud

Operation Atlantic did not happen in isolation. 

It built directly on Project Atlas, a 2024 Canadian-led effort that disrupted $70 million in fraudulent transactions. The Secret Service attended that operation and carried lessons forward into this one.

This time, the coalition grew wider. Co-hosts included the Secret Service, the UK’s National Crime Agency, and the Ontario Provincial Police. 

The Ontario Securities Commission, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the City of London Police, the Financial Conduct Authority, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police all participated.

Detective Superintendent Jennifer Spurrell of the Ontario Provincial Police noted that Project Atlas proved what coordinated disruption could achieve.

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