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Coordinated Takedown of Scam Centers Leads to at Least 276 Arrests; Alleged Managers and Recruiters Charged in San Diego

Unprecedented cooperation between the FBI, Dubai Police Department, and Chinese Ministry of Public Security has resulted in the arrest of at least 276 individuals and the dismantlement of at least nine scam centers used for cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes. These centers targeted Americans who have suffered millions of dollars in losses from such schemes.

This international crackdown last week was spearheaded by the Dubai Police, under the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Interior. Among the 275 arrested by Dubai authorities were three defendants charged in the Southern District of California with federal wire fraud and money laundering charges. An additional person was arrested by the Royal Thai Police.

Thet Min Nyi (27, a Burmese national), Wiliang Awang (23, an Indonesian national), Andreas Chandra (29, an Indonesia national), Lisa Mariam (29, an Indonesian national), and two fugitive co-conspirators have been charged with federal fraud and money laundering charges unsealed in San Diego today. Dubai Police apprehended Thet Min Nyi, Chandra, and Mariam, while the Royal Thai Police apprehended Awang.

“Fraudsters who target Americans from overseas cannot operate with impunity, no matter where in the world they reside,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The charges and arrests announced today reflect an international consensus that scam centers are unwelcome everywhere and must be rooted out. Scam center organizers and fraudsters who defraud Americans and others will face justice in American courts and in courts around the world. In contemporary society, fraud is borderless, and law enforcement activity to combat it and eliminate it is as well.”

“These scammers thought they were safe half a world away,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California. “But their world has changed. Global crime now faces global justice.”

“This operation demonstrates the FBI's steadfast commitment to preventing scammers from further defrauding the American people,” said Assistant Director Heith Janke of the FBI’s Criminal Division. “We can't do this work alone, and we are proud to coordinate and collaborate with our partners to hold accountable those who work to enable and facilitate these scams.”

“Today’s indictment demonstrates the FBI’s determination to identify, disrupt, and dismantle these global scam centers defrauding Americans no matter where they set up shop,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “FBI San Diego will continue to coordinate with our law enforcement, private sector, and international partners to protect victims from cryptocurrency fraud, stop losses before they happen, and recover victim funds where we can.”

In 2025, FBI San Diego agents opened a Homeland Security Task Force investigation after identifying multiple companies and individuals managing scam compounds conducting cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes. According to the indictment, two criminal complaints, and other court records, the defendants charged in San Diego managed, worked for, and recruited others to work at three different “companies” that operated several alleged scam centers: “Ko Thet Company,” “Sanduo Group,” and “Giant Company.” All six defendants allegedly engaged in cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes through “pig-butchering,” which is a type of fraud where scammers gain a victim’s trust over time — through friendship or romance — before persuading them to send money to fake investments which the scammers then take. Scammers entice victims with phony friendship or romance before financially exploiting them.

The defendants targeted citizens of the United States and other countries by cultivating trust and affection with the victims, based on the charging documents and court filings. After that, the scammers promoted investments in cryptocurrencies and assisted victims in setting up accounts and transferring cryptocurrency to investment platforms that, unbeknownst to the victims, were false. The alleged scammers touted their own successes and returns in cryptocurrency investments and encouraged their victims to invest more. They also encouraged their victims to borrow money from friends and family and take out loans, to be able to “invest” more. Unbeknownst to the victims, once they made transfers to the platforms the alleged scammers suggested, they lost control of their cryptocurrency. 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.

FBI agents have identified numerous victims around the United States through complaints filed with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Agents interviewed victims and analyzed financial and cryptocurrency records. So far, investigators have identified millions of dollars in losses caused by these cryptocurrency investment schemes operating across jurisdictions. 

Thet Min Nyi, an alleged manager and recruiter for the Ko Thet Company, also called “Pixy,” managed scam compounds. In March 2026, a grand jury in the Southern District of California returned an indictment against Thet Min Nyi and a fugitive co-defendant charging them with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy, along with criminal forfeiture allegations.

Further, in April 2026, two criminal complaints in the Southern District of California charged Awang, Chandra, their fugitive co-defendant, and Mariam with wire fraud conspiracy. These charges were based on cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes from two other alleged scam organizations, Sanduo Group and Giant Company.

The Dubai Police Department, under the UAE Ministry of Interior, significantly disrupted the scam operations through their parallel investigation. The Dubai Police continue to collaborate closely with international law enforcement agencies to identify and dismantle transnational criminal networks, as part of Dubai’s commitment to combating financial crime and protecting victims worldwide.

Thailand’s Royal Thai Police’s (RTP) Immigration Bureau, Foreign Affairs, and Anti Cyber Scam Center provided significant assistance. Through RTP’s efforts, a key subject and defendant in this investigation, Awang, was apprehended in Thailand.

Meta Platforms, Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, provided critical information for this investigation. U.S. authorities appreciate Meta’s assistance in this matter.

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Horn for the Southern District of California and Trial Attorneys Stefanie Schwartz and William Gullotta of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance.

FBI San Diego has investigated a number of other sophisticated cryptocurrency investment frauds. For example, Operation Level Up —which began in 2024 as a San Diego and Phoenix joint initiative — has proactively identified and notified victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes. As of April 2026, the FBI notified almost 9,000 victims and saved victims an estimated $562 million. FBI-San Diego is also investigating the Tai Chang Scam Enterprise, a series of scam compounds located in Burma’s Karen State also conducting cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes against Americans.

If you have been defrauded out of your money by this type of scheme, please contact the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. 

DEFENDANTS

Case Number 26CR762-RSH

Thet Min Nyi

also known as Ko Thet, also known as Ko  Age: 27                                    Burma

*Fugitive                                                    Age: 27                                    Indonesia

Case Number 26MJ2335-AHG

Wiliang Awang                                         Age: 23                                    Indonesia

also known as Wiliang Ng, also known as Wiliang Huang, also known as Huang Wiliang,

also known as Lincon, also known as Lincoln

Andreas Chandra                                       Age: 29                                     Indonesia

also known as Andreas Chandra Kho, also known as Jay

*Fugitive                                                     Age: 22                                     Indonesia

Case Number 26MJ2437-AHG

Lisa Mariam                                              Age: 29                                      Indonesia

also known as Melissa Chloe, also known as Cipul, also known as Naomi May Lingston,

also known as Vanessa, also known as Bella Theresia

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Wire fraud conspiracy (Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1349 and 1343)

Maximum penalty: 20 years in prison; fine of $250,000 or twice the amount of the gain or loss

Money laundering conspiracy (Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956(h), 1956(a)(2)(A), 1956(a)(2)(B)(i))

Maximum penalty: 20 years in prison; fine of $500,000 or twice the amount of the gain or loss

U.S. AGENCIES

FBI

U.S. Secret Service

IRS Criminal Investigation

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad.

Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders.

In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.

HSTF San Diego comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Interpol, with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.

On March 6, President Trump signed an Executive Order directing the Administration to prioritize cybercrime, fraud, and predatory schemes draining American families of their life savings. Through the Executive Order, President Trump is directing every available tool be used to stop foreign-backed criminal networks that exploit vulnerable Americans through cyber-enabled fraud.

Grok Estimates

In the US, reported losses to internet crimes and scams reached about $21 billion in 2025, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) 2025 report. This came from over 1 million complaints (1,008,597 total), with cyber-enabled fraud accounting for roughly 453,000 complaints and $17.7 billion of the losses. Investment fraud (often crypto-related) was the biggest category at ~$8.6 billion, followed by business email compromise and tech support scams. Older adults (60+) reported the highest losses at ~$7.7 billion.

The FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network data for recent years shows similar reported consumer fraud losses in the $12–16 billion range (e.g., $12.5 billion in 2024, with 2025 figures around $15.9 billion in some summaries). These are reported figures only. Underreporting is massive—law enforcement estimates that only 2–14% of victims file complaints—so independent analyses put the actual annual losses to US consumers from scams and online fraud at $119 billion to $196 billion or higher.

Worldwide scam losses are estimated at $442 billion to over $1 trillion annually (as of 2025 data). The Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) and Feedzai’s Global State of Scams Report 2025, along with Interpol estimates, cite around $442 billion in direct consumer scam losses (based on large-scale surveys across dozens of countries). Some broader analyses (including certain GASA-linked or industry extrapolations) reach $1–1.05 trillion when including all online fraud, money laundering facilitation, and related cyber-enabled schemes. Southeast Asia-based scam centers alone are estimated to generate tens of billions (one conservative figure: ~$64 billion yearly). These numbers have grown rapidly due to AI tools, crypto scams, and organized operations.

People involved (i.e., perpetrators/scammers, not victims) in the US are relatively small in number compared to the global industry. There are no precise public estimates for domestic US-based scammers in major reports, as the largest organized operations targeting Americans are run from overseas. Domestic activity mostly involves smaller individual operators, fraud rings, or localized schemes (e.g., some romance or investment scams). Rough indications from prosecutions and investigations suggest low thousands to perhaps low tens of thousands at most, but this is not a heavily industrialized domestic sector like in other countries.

Worldwide, the organized scam industry (especially large-scale “scam centers” or compounds) involves an estimated 300,000+ to 1 million+ people. Key breakdowns:

  • Southeast Asia (primary hub): UN and other reports estimate 200,000–300,000+ people trafficked or working in scam compounds (often under forced labor). This includes ~120,000 in Myanmar and ~100,000 in Cambodia alone, with operations also in Laos and elsewhere. Many run “pig butchering,” crypto, or romance scams targeting global victims. These are often transnational criminal networks (frequently with Chinese ties).
  • Other regions: India has numerous call-center scam operations (tens of thousands of workers estimated across centers). China prosecuted ~78,000 people for online fraud in 2024. Additional activity in Nigeria (classic 419 scams), Eastern Europe, Africa, and emerging spots in Latin America.
  • The industry relies heavily on human trafficking for forced scamming, fake job lures, and scalable digital tools. Total headcount is hard to pin down exactly due to the clandestine nature, but experts describe it as an industrialized “scamdemic” involving hundreds of thousands directly in operations, plus support roles in money laundering and tech.

These are all estimates—scam operations are deliberately hidden, and reporting rates for both losses and involvement are low. The industry has exploded since ~2020–2021 with the rise of remote scams, crypto, and AI. Losses and scale continue to grow year-over-year (e.g., US IC3 losses up 26% in 2025). For the latest official data, check FBI IC3 or FTC annual reports.

Top 10 Countries

Here's a synthesized top 10 list based on reports from UNODC, Interpol, law enforcement, and analyses (as of 2025–2026 data). It focuses on countries that are major origins or hubs for perpetrators of online/international scams (e.g., pig butchering, romance, investment, tech support, and call-center fraud):

  1. Nigeria — Longstanding leader in advance-fee ("419") scams, romance scams, and phishing. High number of individual and organized operators targeting globally. Often tops anecdotal and media lists for cyber fraud perpetrators.
  2. India — Major hub for tech support scams, call-center fraud, and digital payment scams. Large population of tech-savvy individuals and organized "farms." Significant domestic and international activity.
  3. China — Linked to sophisticated scams (including AI/deepfakes) and oversees many Southeast Asian scam compounds. Large-scale operations and prosecutions (tens of thousands annually).
  4. Cambodia — Primary Southeast Asian scam compound hub. Tens of thousands involved in forced-labor operations targeting global victims (pig butchering, crypto scams). Major transnational criminal networks.
  5. Myanmar (Burma) — Massive scam centers (especially border areas like Myawaddy, Kokang). Estimates of 100,000+ people in compounds, often trafficked. Huge revenue generator for criminal/military-linked groups.
  6. Russia — High-tech cybercrime groups involved in phishing, ransomware, and complex financial fraud. Skilled operators with some state-adjacent ties.
  7. Brazil — Rising in banking malware, investment scams, and online fraud. Large digital economy enables both domestic and cross-border activity.
  8. Romania — European hotspot for cyber scams, credit card fraud, and online auctions. Organized groups targeting EU and beyond.
  9. Pakistan — Emerging in various online frauds; high fraud vulnerability and reported activity in call centers/phishing.
  10. Philippines / Laos (tied for emerging hubs) — Growing scam compounds and POGO-linked operations (Philippines); forced scam centers in Golden Triangle SEZ (Laos). Significant forced labor involvement.

Key Context

  • Southeast Asia dominance — Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos host industrialized "scam centers" with hundreds of thousands of (often trafficked) workers. These generate tens of billions annually and target victims worldwide.
  • Africa — Nigeria leads; others like Ghana and South Africa have notable activity but smaller scale.
  • Data challenges — Many lists confuse victim countries (e.g., US, UK top complaints) with perpetrator origins. Numbers are estimates; underreporting and cross-border operations complicate counts.
  • Trends — Growth driven by AI tools, crypto, and human trafficking for forced scamming. Losses are in the hundreds of billions globally.

Sources

US-Focused Reports (FBI & FTC)

Global Scam Reports

Southeast Asia Scam Compounds & Perpetrators (UNODC)

Top Scammer Countries / Cyber Fraud Analyses