Meta has announced the success officeits largest-ever anti-scam operation, a coordinated international effort that led to 63 arrests, the seizure of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency, and the removal of over 1.4 million scam-related accounts across its platforms.
The large-scale operation, which began on May 18 and lasted two weeks, brought together major technology companies, financial institutions, and law enforcement agencies from several countries.
Key partners included the FBI, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Microsoft, Coinbase, Starlink, and the Royal Thai Police.
The initiative was spearheaded by the DOJ's Scam Center Strike Force under the leadership of U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Additional support came from the U.S. Secret Service and law enforcement agencies from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand.
Focus on Global Scam Networks
Authorities targeted sophisticated criminal organizations responsible for billions of dollars in annual losses through online fraud schemes.
These scams commonly involve cryptocurrency investment fraud, romance scams, and other deceptive financial operations aimed at victims worldwide.
Investigators say many of these networks operate from scam compounds in Southeast Asia, where transnational organized crime groups run large-scale fraud operations.
Officials also noted that some workers in these facilities are victims of human trafficking and are forced to participate in scams under coercion.
Law enforcement efforts primarily focused on alleged organizers, recruiters, money launderers, and operators managing the criminal networks.
Major Results From the Operation
The joint crackdown produced significant outcomes:
63 suspects arrested by the Royal Thai Police.
More than $3 million in cryptocurrency frozen by Coinbase.
Approximately 1.4 million scam-related accounts, pages, and groups removed from Facebook and Instagram by Meta.
Around 20,000 scam-linked accounts disabled by Microsoft.
Thousands of internet terminals disrupted by Starlink to hinder criminal communications.
Multiple previously unknown scam compounds and criminal networks identified and referred for further investigation.
Meta Highlights Importance of Partnerships
Chris Sonderby, Meta's Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, described the operation as a major milestone in the fight against online fraud.
According to Sonderby, protecting users from scams remains one of Meta's highest priorities, and the success of the operation demonstrates the effectiveness of collaboration between technology companies and law enforcement agencies.
He emphasized that the joint effort directly targeted Asia-based scam centers at their source, helping disrupt criminal operations before they could reach potential victims.
Growing Scale of Anti-Scam Efforts
Meta revealed that this marks its third joint operation with the DOJ Scam Center Strike Force since December 2025.
The scale of enforcement has expanded rapidly:
December 2025: 59,000 scam assets removed.
March 2026: 150,000 scam assets removed.
Latest operation: 1.4 million scam-related assets removed.
Across all three operations, Meta says it has removed more than 1.6 million scam accounts, pages, and groups while providing intelligence that helped Thai authorities make 84 arrests linked to scam activities.
The latest crackdown underscores the growing international effort to combat cyber-enabled financial crime and online scams. As fraudsters continue to exploit social media, digital payments, and cryptocurrency platforms, governments and technology companies are in creasingly working together to dismantle criminal networks and protect users worldwide.
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