美国制裁柬埔寨“杀猪盘”电诈集团，查扣150亿美元比特币

Core Points - The U.S. government has designated the Prince Group of Cambodia as a transnational criminal organization, accusing it of engaging in telecom fraud and imposing sanctions on it [1][5] - The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the group's founder, Chen Zhi, and seized nearly $15 billion worth of Bitcoin [1][5] - The Prince Group claims to be a real estate and financial services company operating in over 30 countries, but U.S. prosecutors allege it runs telecom fraud operations in Cambodia [1][5] Summary by Sections Allegations and Operations - The Prince Group is accused of operating telecom fraud parks in Cambodia, where many individuals are forced to participate in scams under threats of violence [1][3] - Workers are often lured by false high-paying job offers and are kept in large dormitories surrounded by high walls and barbed wire [1][3] - The group employs a "phone farm" strategy, using 1,250 phones to control approximately 76,000 social media accounts for scamming purposes [1][3] Financial Aspects - The fraud operations reportedly generate over $30 million daily, with the group utilizing its extensive business network for money laundering, including online gambling and cryptocurrency mining [3][5] - The U.S. Department of Justice has seized 127,271 Bitcoins, valued at nearly $15 billion, believed to be proceeds from Chen Zhi's fraudulent activities [5] Legal Actions and International Response - Chen Zhi faces multiple charges, including telecom fraud and money laundering, with a potential maximum sentence of 40 years if convicted [3][5] - The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned Chen Zhi and over 100 entities associated with the Prince Group, freezing all assets in the U.S. [5][6] - The U.K. government has also taken action, freezing assets worth £130 million related to the fraud network in the U.K. [5][6] Broader Context - The U.S. government estimates that fraud activities from Southeast Asia will cause American citizens losses of at least $10 billion in 2024, a 66% increase from the previous year [6]