U.S. authorities have seized over $578 million in digital assets linked to criminal groups from Southeast Asia. The District of Columbia’s Scam Center Strike Force, led by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, took action against what are described as Chinese transnational criminal organizations. The funds were allegedly stolen from U.S. residents through online and social media scams.
U.S. Department of Justice officials reported seizing over $578 million worth of digital assets tied to criminal groups. This action targeted Southeast Asian cryptocurrency-related fraud and was conducted by a specialized task force.
The District of Columbia’s Scam Center Strike Force executed the seizures and freezes over three months. The task force was established in November by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
According to the Justice Department, the crypto was stolen by Chinese transnational criminal organizations. These groups reportedly targeted U.S. residents using websites and social media platforms.
“Seizures of cryptocurrency is one important part of the Scam Center Strike Force’s work,” said Pirro. The U.S. Attorney added, “Through the legal process, my Office will seek to forfeit these funds and return them to victims to the maximum extent possible.”
Data from BitcoinTreasuries.NET indicates U.S. authorities may hold as much as 328,372 Bitcoin from various criminal seizures. The White House had not publicly commented on the size of this official stockpile.
Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis reported a massive surge in related scams in 2025. Impersonation scams tied to crypto rose by roughly 1,400% year over year.
The average amount stolen through these impersonation scams increased by 600% over the same period. Many schemes involved pig butchering and fraudulent investment operations.
Earlier this month, a U.S. judge sentenced an individual to 20 years in prison for orchestrating a scam. That scheme stole more than $73 million from victims, many based in the United States.
