On November 12, 2025, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the creation of the District of Columbia Scam Center Strike Force aimed at protecting Americans against cryptocurrency-related fraud and scams run from Southeast Asia. The Strike Force’s goal is to disrupt the scams and bring the perpetrators to justice using resources provided by the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Secret Service and also by utilizing governmental tools provided by the State Department, the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, and the Department of Commerce. Pirro also called for U.S. corporations to partner with the Strike Force to help “secure the U.S infrastructure, which is being used as an instrument to defraud Americans” and prevent the generational transfer of wealth that is occurring between the United States and members of Chinese organized crime.
The Scam Center Strike Force was formed specifically to combat “pig butchering” schemes run by Chinese transactional criminal organizations (“TCOs”). Pig butchering schemes have reportedly increased since 2019, with recent reports estimating that Americans are defrauded out of nearly $10 billion per year from these schemes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also reported that the Secret Service has responded to approximately 3,000 victims of cryptocurrency investment schemes in 2025 alone. The schemes often involve scammers that use U.S. social media networks or text messages to message U.S.-based cell phones in an effort to earn the trust of American victims and, over time, convince them to invest in cryptocurrency. The victims are ultimately tricked into transferring funds into fake cryptocurrency investment websites, many of which are hosted by companies in the United States, where the virtual currency is quickly laundered into accounts outside of the United States. The individuals who carry out the schemes are often victims of human trafficking who are specifically instructed, under the threat of violence, to target Americans.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia reported that the Strike Force is already up and running and is in the process of investigating the worst scam compounds in Southeast Asia. Its primary focus has been to identify and pursue the key leaders behind these scams, including Chinese TCO members located in Cambodia, Laos, and Burma. So far, the Strike Force Crypto Seizure team, which is focused on recovering stolen funds for the victims, has reportedly seized and forfeited more than $400 million in cryptocurrency. On November 12, 2025, the Crypto Seizure team announced that it filed a forfeiture proceeding for $80 million in stolen funds.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia Press Release