As part of a coordinated Scam Center Strike Force action, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned a Cambodian senator and 28 individuals for their alleged roles in running scam centers that defraud Americans. The Scam Center Strike Force is a joint law enforcement initiative.
OFAC said that Kok An controls a network of scam centers in the Southeast Asian country that have stolen millions of dollars from U.S. citizens through romance scams and other illicit means. The scam centers operate out of casinos and office parks retrofitted for fraudulent activity, launder victims’ funds and commit human rights abuses with impunity, according to the agency.
The strike force also announced charges against two individuals running a scam compound in Burma and attempting to start a scam compound in Cambodia, the seizure of a social media messaging app used to recruit human trafficking victims to a scam compound in Cambodia, and the seizure of 503 fraudulent web domains used to perpetuate cryptocurrency investment fraud.
In a statement, American Bankers Association President and CEO Rob Nichols thanked the task force for cracking down on Southeast Asian criminal organizations.
“The actions of the Justice, Treasury and State Departments send a strong message that these criminal enterprises cannot escape the reach of U.S. law enforcement, and they will pay a price for their crimes against our citizens,” Nichols said. “The banking industry remains committed to supporting the administration and law enforcement in these efforts, and banks of all sizes will also continue to invest in technology, public awareness campaigns and other tools to protect our customers.”
