Core Insights - The United States has conducted the largest cryptocurrency seizure related to international online scams, revealing a significant global fraud and human trafficking network [1] - The operation involved coordinated efforts from the DOJ, U.S. Treasury, and UK authorities, targeting the Cambodia-based Prince Holding Group and its chairman, Chen Zhi [1] Company Overview - Prince Holding Group, founded in 2015 by Chen Zhi, operates in real estate, finance, and hospitality across over 30 countries, but has allegedly transformed into a criminal enterprise [3] - Chen, a Chinese-born businessman, renounced his citizenship and has been linked to sophisticated transnational scam operations in Asia [3] Fraud Operations - The group reportedly lured thousands of workers to Cambodia with false job offers, trapping them in guarded compounds where they were forced to conduct "pig butchering" scams [4] - Victims were manipulated into investing in fake crypto trading platforms, leading to significant financial losses [4] Financial Mechanisms - Investigators traced at least $18 million from over 250 U.S. victims through shell entities in Brooklyn and Queens between May 2021 and August 2022, indicating a broader operation that funneled billions back to Cambodia [6] - The funds were laundered through over 100 shell and holding companies, crypto exchanges, and mining operations, ultimately converted into Bitcoin and stored in private wallets controlled by Chen and his associates [5] Regulatory Actions - The U.S. Treasury's OFAC announced sanctions against 146 individuals and entities associated with Prince Holding Group, designating the network as a transnational criminal organization involved in fraud, extortion, and human trafficking [7]

Group 1 - The founder of the cryptocurrency lending platform Celsius, Alex Mashinsky, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for cryptocurrency fraud [1]