FBI dismantles global fraud network in Operation Blackout

The FBI has launched ‘Operation Blackout’ to dismantle a massive international online fraud network. FBI Director Kash Patel announced that the operation resulted in the seizure of over $15 billion in assets and cryptocurrency, the shutdown of more than 500 fraudulent investment websites, and the arrest of hundreds of individuals.

According to Patel, these were not isolated scammers but organized criminal networks operating from secure compounds abroad. These centers, located in border regions of Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand, utilized human trafficking and forced labor to target American citizens through fake online investments, romance scams, and cryptocurrency fraud.

The operation involved cooperation from more than 20 countries. It successfully rescued thousands of human trafficking victims from forced labor and provided warnings to over 10,000 Americans, preventing an estimated $500 million in potential losses. The primary goal of the operation is to destroy the fundamental infrastructure of these global criminal networks.