Fighting Scams at the Source: How Coinbase Helped Disrupt Criminal Networks in Southeast Asia

At Coinbase, we've always believed that crypto done right is a force for good, but that means actively working to keep bad actors out of the financial system. Today, we're proud to share the results of a major joint operation we participated in alongside Meta, Microsoft, Starlink, the US Department of Justice, and global law enforcement agencies to disrupt criminal scam networks operating in Southeast Asia.

What We Did

As part of the US DOJ's Scam Center Strike Force, led by US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, Coinbase joined industry partners in Washington, DC to share intelligence and coordinate action against criminal syndicates responsible for romance scams, investment fraud, and forced labor scam compounds targeting victims worldwide.

Our contribution: Coinbase froze more than $3 million in cryptocurrency assets directly tied to these criminal networks.

Why Crypto Is Actually a Powerful Tool Against Financial Crime

We know crypto sometimes gets an unfair reputation when it comes to illicit finance. The reality is the opposite, blockchain technology gives law enforcement something traditional financial systems often can't: a transparent, immutable, and permanent record of every transaction.

Stronger Together

This operation is proof that scammers can't be stopped by any single company or agency acting alone. It took social platforms, financial institutions, connectivity providers, and law enforcement working in lockstep to hit these networks at nearly every point in the fraud chain, online accounts, financial flows, and physical infrastructure all at once.

The results speak for themselves: over 1.4 million accounts disabled, 63 arrests made, thousands of Starlink kits terminated, and millions in criminal assets frozen.

We're committed to continuing this work, because protecting consumers isn't just good policy, it's core to building a financial system that actually works for everyone.