Global Crackdown Targets Southeast Asia Crypto Scam Operations
Meta said the joint effort also led to 63 arrests, while Microsoft suspended 20,000 accounts and Coinbase froze more than $3 million in cryptocurrency.
- Meta, the Justice Department, and tech partners disabled more than 1.4 million accounts, pages, and groups on Facebook and Instagram during a coordinated operation targeting criminal networks.
- Throughout the week of May 18, representatives from Meta, Microsoft, Coinbase, Starlink, and international law enforcement met in Washington to share insights regarding criminal networks operating out of Southeast Asia.
- Partners identified scam center locations by sharing information to "connect the dots between disparate pieces of information across platforms," resulting in 63 arrests. Additionally, Microsoft suspended 20,000 accounts while Coinbase froze more than $3 million.
- During 2025, Meta removed 159 million scam ads and 10.9 million accounts tied to criminal centers. The company also previously took down more than 2 million accounts linked to "pig butchering" schemes.
- To identify impersonators, Meta recently rolled out AI tools and sued advertisers in Brazil and China. Meta stated, "Participating companies remain committed to continuing this important collaboration to protect people online.
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Meta, Starlink and Microsoft team up with the FBI to delete over 1.4 million accounts and seize millions in cryptocurrency related to huge scam networks targeting Americans
The FBI arrested 63 people in connection to the scam network, while Microsoft disabled 20,000 accounts.
Meta leads largest anti-scam operation with FBI and DOJ, leading to 63 arrests
Officials announced a massive, coordinated anti-scam operation led by Meta alongside the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Justice (DOJ), Microsoft, Coinbase and Starlink, resulting in 63 arrests, millions of dollars in frozen cryptocurrency and the removal of over a million scam-related online accounts.
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Meta leads largest-ever anti-scam operation with FBI and DOJ, resulting in 63 arrests
A sweeping anti-scam operation led by Meta and backed by the FBI, Department of Justice, Microsoft, Coinbase and Starlink resulted in 63 arrests, millions of dollars in frozen cryptocurrency and the removal of more than a million scam-related online accounts, officials announced Tuesday. Meta said the operation was the company’s largest anti-scam operation to date [...]
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