Coinbase freezes over $3M as DOJ-led crackdown hits Southeast Asia scam networks

A DOJ-coordinated “Disruption Week” targeting scam networks operating from Southeast Asia led private-sector participants to freeze more than $3.8 million in cryptocurrency and disrupt more than 1.4 million social media and email accounts. The operation involved Coinbase, SpaceX, Meta, Apple and other companies working with U.S. and international authorities. The DOJ said the effort helped arrest seven suspects, while earlier details on the broader crackdown said enforcement actions had resulted in 63 arrests, including seven in Thailand, alongside server and hosting takedowns and thousands of Starlink kit terminations. FBI data cited by the DOJ put reported U.S. losses from crypto scams at nearly $11.4 billion in 2025, up 22% from a year earlier, underscoring the scale of cross-border fraud networks that use digital assets, online accounts and communications infrastructure to reach victims.