FBI Seizes $17 Billion From Global Scam Compounds as Fraud Networks Shift to Africa
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 29
FBI Seizes $17 Billion From Global Scam Compounds as Fraud Networks Shift to Africa
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 29
Summary
$17 billion tied to overseas scam compounds has been seized under the FBI's Operation Blackout, which Director Kash Patel said is widening its hunt beyond Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
Patel said the compounds heavily target Americans—especially seniors—through social media, calls, texts and Telegram, often using romance-style pitches to funnel victims into fake cryptocurrency platforms.
At Cambodia's 200-acre O'Smach Resort, an August raid searched 28 buildings over three days and seized 113 hard drives, 15 computers and 35 boxes of evidence.
Operation Level Up, the FBI's domestic prevention arm, has contacted 10,406 potential victims, prevented an estimated $660 million in losses and seized or froze another $122 million in cryptocurrency.
The crackdown is following the networks' migration: a DOJ-FBI team helped Madagascar shut 13 scam centers in September, and Patel said syndicates are moving into central and sub-Saharan Africa.