[EMBARGO] Meta leads largest-ever anti-scam operation with FBI and DOJ, resulting in 63 arrests
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National fraud enforcement official discusses task force crackdown

Colin McDonald, the Assistant Attorney General for National Fraud Enforcement, highlights the extensive reach of a federal initiative aimed at combating fraud. He reports that the task force has executed over 450 significant law enforcement activities in just 52 days. These efforts include executing search warrants, making arrests, and securing convictions. McDonald stresses the importance of state collaboration and the role of public whistleblowers in holding accountable those who exploit the elderly and vulnerable, ensuring that prosecution efforts are maximized.

An extensive anti-scam campaign, spearheaded by Meta with support from the FBI, Department of Justice, Microsoft, Coinbase, and Starlink, has led to 63 arrests, the freezing of millions in cryptocurrency, and the shutdown of over a million scam-related online accounts, according to an announcement made on Tuesday.

Meta described this undertaking as its largest anti-scam operation to date, marking the first instance of a coordinated effort that brings together major tech companies, financial institutions, and law enforcement agencies to tackle the broader landscape of fraud.

Launched on May 18, the two-week operation was a collaborative effort involving the DOJ’s Scam Center Strike Force, led by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Partners included the FBI, the Royal Thai Police, Microsoft, Coinbase, Starlink, and other international law enforcement entities.

The initiative extended across Washington, D.C., and Thailand, also enlisting the support of the U.S. Secret Service and law enforcement agencies from the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Thailand.

During this multinational crackdown, Thai authorities apprehended 63 individuals allegedly linked to scam centers, targeting networks that defraud Americans.

The operation targeted criminal scam networks that authorities say steal billions of dollars from Americans each year through romance scams, cryptocurrency investment fraud and other fraudulent schemes. Officials said many of the organizations operate from forced-labor compounds in Southeast Asia linked to transnational organized crime groups.

Authorities have also warned that some people working inside Southeast Asian scam compounds are trafficking victims coerced into carrying out fraud, while law enforcement efforts have focused on alleged organizers, recruiters, money launderers and network operators.

“Protecting people around the world from scams is one of our highest priorities,” Chris Sonderby, Meta’s vice president and deputy general counsel, said in a statement.

Sonderby said the operation “demonstrates the power of partnerships to combat scammers.”

Law enforcement agencies from multiple countries coordinated efforts to disrupt scam compounds operating in Southeast Asia. (Meta)

“We’re proud to partner with industry and DOJ, FBI, Royal Thai Police, and other law enforcement agencies in taking this global fight directly to these Asia-based scam centers at their source,” he added.

As part of the operation, Meta removed approximately 1.4 million scam accounts, pages and groups from Facebook and Instagram.

The Royal Thai Police arrested 63 individuals allegedly connected to scam centers.

Authorities said the operation targeted criminal organizations involved in romance scams, investment fraud and other online schemes.

Authorities said the operation targeted criminal organizations involved in romance scams, investment fraud and other online schemes. (Meta)

Coinbase froze more than $3 million in cryptocurrency assets tied to criminal networks.

Microsoft disabled roughly 20,000 accounts linked to scam operations, Meta said. Starlink disrupted thousands of internet terminals associated with the networks, according to Meta.

Authorities also identified dozens of previously unknown scam compounds and criminal networks, which were referred to law enforcement agencies for further investigation.

Meta said the effort marked its third joint operation with the DOJ Scam Center Strike Force since December 2025.

The scale of the operation has grown dramatically, from 59,000 scam assets removed in December to 150,000 in March and 1.4 million in the latest crackdown, according to Meta.

Across all three operations, the company said it has removed more than 1.6 million scam accounts, pages and groups and provided intelligence that helped lead to 84 arrests by the Royal Thai Police.

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