Meta, Starlink and Microsoft team up with the FBI to delete over 1.4 million accounts and seize millions in cryptocurrency related to huge scam networks targeting Americans
Date:
Thu, 04 Jun 2026 11:15:00 +0000
The FBI arrested 63 people in connection to the scam network, while Microsoft disabled 20,000 accounts, in a large-scale, multi-national operation against internet scammers and fraudsters.
On May 18, the US Department of Justice, the FBI, Secret Service, law enforcement agencies in the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Thailand, as well as multiple commercial businesses such as Meta, Coinbase and
Starlink, participated in the takedown of a scam network in Southeast Asia.
In a press release published earlier this week, Meta disclosed the details of the operation, saying 63 suspects were arrested, while Coinbase froze more than $3 million in cryptocurrency assets. At the same time, Meta disabled
more than 1.4 million accounts, pages, and groups from Facebook and
Instagram, while Microsoft suspended roughly 20,000 fraudulent accounts
linked to the scam network.
Identifying more scams -- Meta said the intelligence shared between these companies and agencies led to the identification of many potentially new scam center locations and networks, which were referred to law enforcement. Starlink participated by terminating connectivity for thousands of kits that were attributed to unlawful use.
The announcement did not say what the nature of the scam was, or if the group had a name or any hierarchy. Scams involving cryptocurrency are usually romance or investment scams (or a combination). Users are enticed to invest into fraudulent platforms, under the promise of enormous financial gains. Romance scams work similarly, tricking victims into believing they are investing with a future significant other.
Sometimes, scammers engage in so-called pig butchering scams, gradually cultivating relationships with victims before persuading them to transfer funds to fraudulent cryptocurrency platforms. Even when the victims realize that they cannot withdraw, the scammers remain in character, posing as customer support, and promising the victim the release of the funds if they pay tax or withdrawal fee.
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/meta-starlink-and-microsoft-team-up-wit h-the-fbi-to-delete-over-1-4-million-accounts-and-seize-millions-in-cryptocurr ency-related-to-huge-scam-networks-targeting-americans
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* Origin: Capitol City Hub (1:2320/105)