Treasury Department targets Southeast Asia scam hubs with sanctions | CyberScoop<\/title> <meta name=\"description\" content=\"Cybercrime hubs in Southeast Asia scammed Americans out of at least $10 billion last year, a 66% increase from 2023, officials said.\"> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/southeast-asia-scam-hubs-sanctions\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Treasury Department targets Southeast Asia scam hubs with sanctions\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cybercrime hubs in Southeast Asia scammed Americans out of at least $10 billion last year, a 66% increase from 2023, officials said.\"> <meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/southeast-asia-scam-hubs-sanctions\/\"> <meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"CyberScoop\"> <meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/cyberscoop\/\"> <meta 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ad--top ad--top-mobile\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"stickybar\" class=\"stickybar stickybar--newsletter js-stickybar\" readability=\"0.82\"> <button class=\"stickybar__close js-stickybar-close\" aria-controls=\"stickybar\"> <svg class=\"icon icon--close\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 22\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"m.822.518-.805.805L9.695 11 .017 20.678l.805.805 9.678-9.678 9.677 9.678.806-.805L11.305 11l9.678-9.677-.806-.805-9.677 9.677L.822.518Z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg> <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Close<\/span> <\/button> <\/section>\n<article class=\"single-article content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"26.033333333333\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"32.119341563786\">\n<ul class=\"single-article__eyebrow\">\n<li class=\"single-article__category\"> <a class=\"single-article__category-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/southeast-asia-scam-hubs-sanctions\/\"> <span>Cybercrime<\/span> <\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> Cybercrime hubs in Southeast Asia scammed Americans out of at least $10 billion last year, a 66% increase from 2023, officials said. <\/p>\n<p>   <\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/treasury-department-targets-southeast-asia-scam-hubs-with-sanctions.jpg?resize=640%2C427&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/treasury-department-targets-southeast-asia-scam-hubs-with-sanctions-2.jpg 1024w, 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headquarters of the U.S. Treasury on Jan. 3, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by J. David Ake\/Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"38.732300884956\"><body readability=\"81.29799143892\"><\/p>\n<p>Federal authorities on Monday <a href=\"https:\/\/home.treasury.gov\/news\/press-releases\/sb0237\">imposed sanctions<\/a> on 19 people and organizations allegedly involved in major cyberscam hubs in Burma and Cambodia.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCriminal actors across Southeast Asia have increasingly exploited the vulnerabilities of Americans online,\u201d Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/releases\/office-of-the-spokesperson\/2025\/09\/imposing-sanctions-on-online-scam-centers-in-southeast-asia\/\">statement<\/a>. \u201cIn 2024, Americans lost at least $10 billion to scam operations in Southeast Asia, according to a U.S. government estimate.\u201d That\u2019s a 66% increase from the prior year, officials said. <\/p>\n<p>People who staff these scam centers are often victimized as well. Criminal organizations in Southeast Asia recruit workers under false pretenses and use debt bondage, violence, and threats of forced prostitution to coerce them to scam strangers online via messaging apps or text messages, authorities said.<\/p>\n<p>The Treasury Department\u2019s Office of Foreign Assets Control levied sanctions against nine targets operating in Shwe Kokko, Burma, which it described as a \u201cnotorious hub for virtual currency investment scams under the protection of the OFAC-designated Karen National Army.\u201d KNA was sanctioned as a transnational criminal organization in May. <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Tin Win, Saw Min Min Oo, Chit Linn Myaing Co., Chit Linn Myaing Toyota Co., Chit Linn Myaing Mining & Industry Co., Shwe Myint Thaung Yinn Industry and Manufacturing Co., She Zhijang, Yatai International Holdings Group and Myanmar Yatai International Holding Group Co. were all sanctioned for their alleged involvement in these scam centers near Burma\u2019s border with Thailand.<\/p>\n<p>She Shijiang and Saw Chit Thu, the leader of the KNA who was previously sanctioned in May, are accused of transforming a small village in Shwe Kokko into a city built for gambling, drug trafficking, prostitution and a compound of scam centers. Tin Win and Saw Min Min Oo allegedly control property that hosts the scam centers and personally run organizations that support the operations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSoutheast Asia\u2019s cyber scam industry not only threatens the well-being and financial security of Americans, but also subjects thousands of people to modern slavery,\u201d John K. Hurley, under secretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>The Treasury Department also sanctioned four people and six organizations for their alleged involvement in forced labor compounds in Cambodia that operate virtual currency investment scams targeting victims in the United States, Europe, China and elsewhere. <\/p>\n<p>T C Capital Co., K B Hotel Co., K B X Investment Co., M D S Heng He Investment Co., Heng He Bavet Property Co., HH Bank Cambodia, Dong Lecheng, Xu Aimin, Chen Al Len and Su Liangsheng were all sanctioned for their alleged involvement in scam centers in Cambodia. <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThese sanctions protect Americans from the pervasive threat of online scam operations by disrupting the ability of criminal networks to perpetuate industrial-scale fraud, forced labor, physical and sexual abuse, and theft of Americans\u2019 hard-earned savings,\u201d Rubio said.<\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\" readability=\"3.1453287197232\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"14\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/treasury-department-targets-southeast-asia-scam-hubs-with-sanctions-1.jpg?w=640&ssl=1\" alt=\"Matt Kapko\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Matt Kapko<\/h4>\n<p> Matt Kapko is a reporter at CyberScoop. His beat includes cybercrime, ransomware, software defects and vulnerability (mis)management. The lifelong Californian started his journalism career in 2001 with previous stops at Cybersecurity Dive, CIO, SDxCentral and RCR Wireless News. Matt has a degree in journalism and history from Humboldt State University. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__tags-container\">\n<h4 class=\"single-article__tags-title\">In This Story<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p> <\/html><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__ads js-single-article-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-5 ad--rightrail_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-4 ad--rightrail_2 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-3 ad--rightrail_3 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<section class=\"latest-podcasts\">\n<h2 class=\"latest-podcasts__title\"> Latest 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{"id":7969,"date":"2025-09-08T18:24:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T23:24:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=85900"},"modified":"2025-09-08T18:24:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T23:24:10","slug":"treasury-department-targets-southeast-asia-scam-hubs-with-sanctions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2025\/09\/08\/treasury-department-targets-southeast-asia-scam-hubs-with-sanctions\/","title":{"rendered":"Treasury Department targets Southeast Asia scam hubs with sanctions"},"content":{"rendered":"