U.S. DOJ Reports Seizure of Over $580M Via Scam Center Strike Force

• The U.S. DOJ has announced that the Scam Center Strike Force has cumulatively frozen over $580 million.
• The Strike Force has been targeting Chinese transnational criminal organizations stealing life savings from Americans.
• The use of crypto to scale traditional crime has been reported across various jurisdictions, including Russia.

The United States Department of Justice has reported a major milestone in combating transnational criminal activity related to cryptocurrencies. On February 26, 2026, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced that the Scam Center Strike Force has cumulatively frozen $580 million.

 “In November, I announced the creation of our Scam Center Strike Force to lead the charge. In only three months, we have made significant progress, freezing, seizing, and forfeiting cryptocurrency worth more than $580 million from these criminals,” Pirro stated.

U.S. DOJ-Led Scam Center Strike Force Hits Major Milestone 

The United States DOJ, in collaboration with several law enforcement agencies, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Secret Service, has heavily targeted Southeast Asia crypto scams. Through the Scam Center Strike Force, several ‘pig butchering’ crypto scams have been disrupted. 

As such, Pirro stated that the DOJ will be working to return the stolen and frozen funds to the victims.

“Seizures of cryptocurrency is one important part of the Scam Center Strike Force’s work.  Through the legal process, my Office will seek to forfeit these funds and return them to victims to the maximum extent possible,” Pirro added.

Meanwhile, the DOJ is keen to pursue and charge the Chinese organized crime affiliates operating in Burma, Cambodia, and Laos. Moreover, the DOJ has worked with several onchain analysis firms, led by Chainalysis, to identify the fraudsters.

The use of crypto to facilitate traditional scams has gained traction globally. Furthermore, the crypto market runs 24/7 with limited cross-border hurdles compared to the traditional financial system.

According to a 2025 Chainalysis report, emerging trends in crypto scams, hacking, ransomware, and stolen funds have reshaped the threat globally. Moreover, the report shows money launderers received at least $82 billion in crypto assets in 2025, a sharp uptick from $10 billion recorded in 2020. 

The Chinese-language money laundering crypto networks accounted for the largest share in 2025. It is reported that the Chinese money launderers processed around $40 million worth of crypto per day in 2025.

The Central Bank of Russia stated that the use of crypto assets has surged in illegal activities over the years. Specifically, the bank stated that 4,600 crypto wallets were directly used by more than 7K Ponzi schemes in 2025.

Related: Russia Flags Crypto as Key Tool in Illegal Financial Schemes