The Office of Foreign Assets Control has sanctioned Cambodian senator Kok An and 28 others over alleged involvement in crypto-linked scam centres operating across Cambodia.
The US Treasury said the network ran “pig butchering” scams that defrauded victims of billions of dollars, often using long-term social engineering tactics to extract funds through fake crypto investment platforms.
“The Scam Center Strike Force has directed agents and attorneys from US law enforcement agencies to investigate, disrupt, and prosecute the most egregious scam centres and their leaders, with a focus on Burma, Cambodia and Laos,”
The Treasury said.
Authorities said the scam operations were based in casinos and office parks, where trafficking victims were allegedly forced to conduct fraudulent outreach targeting individuals worldwide.
The crackdown was coordinated with the Scam Center Strike Force, which also seized a social media platform and more than 500 fraudulent domains tied to crypto scams.
US officials estimate Americans lost at least $10 billion in a single year to scam networks in Southeast Asia, highlighting the scale and persistence of the threat across the region.
Separately, the US Department of Justice recently secured a 20-year prison sentence for Daren Li over similar schemes that defrauded victims of $73 million using fake crypto trading platforms.