A major joint operation involving leading technology companies and international law enforcement agencies has disrupted criminal scam networks operating across Southeast Asia, resulting in 63 arrests and the removal of more than 1.4 million online accounts.
The operation brought together Meta, Microsoft, Coinbase, Starlink, the US Department of Justice, the FBI, the US Secret Service, the Royal Thai Police, and law enforcement agencies from the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
According to Meta, the coordinated effort targeted criminal syndicates involved in online fraud schemes, including romance scams, investment fraud, and operations linked to scam compounds and forced labour networks.
As part of the crackdown, Meta removed more than 1.4 million Facebook and Instagram accounts, pages, and groups connected to scam activities, while Microsoft suspended around 20,000 fraudulent accounts.
Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase froze more than US$3 million worth of digital assets linked to criminal networks, and Starlink disabled connectivity for thousands of internet terminals allegedly used for unlawful activities.
The intelligence-sharing initiative also helped identify new suspected scam centre locations and criminal networks, which have been referred to law enforcement authorities for further action.
The operation was coordinated through the US Department of Justice’s Scam Center Strike Force and involved a week-long intelligence-sharing exercise in Washington, DC, aimed at linking online scam activities to real-world criminal networks.
Meta said the results demonstrate the value of collaboration between technology companies and law enforcement agencies in tackling increasingly sophisticated transnational scam operations.
Royal Thai Police officials said the operation marked the third major joint effort with Meta and other partners, highlighting the importance of international cooperation in combating online fraud networks that operate across multiple countries and platforms. (Newswire)