{"id":30681,"date":"2026-06-04T05:15:23","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T05:15:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/coinbase-freezes-3m-as-doj-hits-southeast-asia-scam-networks\/"},"modified":"2026-06-04T05:15:32","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T05:15:32","slug":"coinbase-freezes-3m-as-doj-hits-southeast-asia-scam-networks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/coinbase-freezes-3m-as-doj-hits-southeast-asia-scam-networks\/","title":{"rendered":"Coinbase freezes $3M as DOJ hits Southeast Asia scam networks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-detail__content blocks\">\n<p class=\"is-style-lead\">Coinbase said it froze more than $3 million in cryptocurrency tied to scam networks operating in Southeast Asia.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div id=\"cn-block-summary-block_ad057731b69048027c8c8acd6aeb791c\" class=\"cn-block-summary\">\n<div class=\"cn-block-summary__nav tabs\">\n        <span class=\"tabs__item is-selected\">Summary<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<div class=\"cn-block-summary__content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Coinbase froze over $3M in crypto tied to Southeast Asia romance and investment scam networks.<\/li>\n<li>Meta, Microsoft and Starlink helped disrupt accounts, hosting tools and internet kits used by scammers.<\/li>\n<li>The DOJ action follows a wider fraud crackdown after $701M in crypto was frozen in April.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- .cn-block-summary --><\/p>\n<p>The exchange joined a broader operation <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-dc\/pr\/scam-center-strike-force-announces-results-us-private-industry-disruption-week\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">led<\/a> by the U.S. Department of Justice\u2019s Scam Center Strike Force.<\/p>\n<p>The action targeted criminal groups accused of running romance scams, investment fraud, and forced labor scam compounds. Coinbase <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coinbase.com\/en-gb\/blog\/fighting-scams-at-the-source\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">said<\/a> it shared intelligence with Meta, Microsoft, Starlink, the DOJ, and global law enforcement agencies.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- .cn-block-related-link --><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cThis operation is proof that scammers can\u2019t be stopped by any single company or agency acting alone,\u201d Coinbase said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The company added that social platforms, financial firms, internet providers, and police had to act together.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Meta and Microsoft disrupt online accounts<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Meta said the joint action disabled more than 1.4 million accounts, pages, and groups across Facebook and Instagram. Microsoft also suspended about 20,000 fraudulent accounts linked to scam networks.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Today, through <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/USAttyPirro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@USAttyPirro<\/a> &amp; our Scam Center Strike Force, the DOJ announced results from its first-of-its-kind &#8220;Disruption Week,&#8221; partnering with the private sector to crush Southeast Asian cyber\/crypto fraud.<\/p>\n<p>Key impacts:<br \/>\u2013 1.4M+ scam accounts disrupted<br \/>\u2013 $3.8M in crypto\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 U.S. Attorney DC (@USAO_DC) <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/USAO_DC\/status\/2062268934842151275?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 3, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Starlink terminated connectivity for thousands of kits tied to unlawful use. The Royal Thai Police also arrested 63 people connected to scam operations, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/about.fb.com\/news\/2026\/06\/leading-tech-companies-law-enforcement-disrupt-criminal-scam-networks-in-southeast-asia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">according<\/a> to Meta.<\/p>\n<p>The companies said the operation connected online activity with real-world scam centers. Meta said shared intelligence helped identify scam locations, accounts, infrastructure, and networks for law enforcement review.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Crypto tracking aids law enforcement<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Coinbase defended the role of blockchain tracking in the operation. The company said public blockchain records can help investigators follow stolen funds after victims send crypto to scammers.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cBlockchain technology gives law enforcement something traditional financial systems often can\u2019t: a transparent, immutable and permanent record of every transaction,\u201d Coinbase said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The statement comes as crypto-linked investment scams continue to draw attention from U.S. authorities. The DOJ has described pig butchering and investment scams as among the most damaging fraud types targeting Americans.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Broader scam crackdown continues<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The latest action follows a broader push against scam compounds and fake investment platforms. As previously reported by crypto.news, U.S. authorities froze more than $701 million in crypto tied to global scam networks in April.<\/p>\n<p>That earlier action also targeted over 500 fake investment websites. Authorities said the sites used false dashboards and fake returns to convince victims to deposit more funds.<\/p>\n<p>Law enforcement agencies in several countries have also moved against scam centers this year. Actions have involved the U.S., Thailand, Singapore, the UAE, Austria, Albania, and other partners.<\/p>\n<p>The Coinbase freeze adds another case showing how exchanges now play a direct role in fraud disruption. The company said it will continue working with public and private partners to block criminal funds and protect users.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- .cn-block-related-link --><\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Coinbase said it froze more than $3 million in cryptocurrency tied to scam networks operating in Southeast Asia.\u00a0 Summary Coinbase froze over $3M in crypto tied to Southeast Asia romance&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29734,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30681","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cryptocurrency"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30681","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30681"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30681\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30682,"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30681\/revisions\/30682"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30681"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30681"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30681"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}