US DOJ strike force seizes $580M in crypto from pig butchering scams

The US Department of Justice’s Scam Center Strike Force has recovered $580 million in digital assets tied to pig butchering scams, a sophisticated fraud scheme run by Chinese transnational criminal organizations. Established in November, the strike force targets scam compounds in Southeast Asia to dismantle the infrastructure supporting these scams and crypto investment fraud. Attorney Jeanine Pirro emphasized the predatory nature of these criminals, who exploit emotional connections to defraud Americans. Pig butchering involves building relationships with victims before directing them to fake trading platforms. The Justice Department notes that fraud revenue constitutes a significant portion of GDP in some Southeast Asian countries. The task force comprises prosecutors from various DOJ divisions, the FBI, Secret Service, and IRS, and had already recovered $402 million by January 2026.

(Source：Crypto Briefing)