ABC7 News | Operation Shamrock’s Erin West describes her visit to the site of a scam compound implicated in the Department of Justice seizure of $15B from a cyber fraud operation.

The Department of Justice indicted Chen Zhi, a Chinese national, for wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. The DOJ describes the Prince Group, his conglomerate of companies based in Cambodia, as a “transnational criminal organization.”

See the press release: Chairman of Prince Group Indicted for Operating Cambodian Forced-Labor Scam Compounds Engaged in Cryptocurrency Fraud Schemes

West traveled to Cambodia earlier this year as part of her ongoing efforts to investigate scam compounds. She describes what happens in the scam compounds and who is doing it. From the outside, they look like resorts, hotels, or luxury apartments — including signage on the outside. Inside, behind the heavily guarded gates, victims of human trafficking are used as forced labor to commit fraud.

“This is modern day slavery. These people are being held against their will and being forced to scam 16 hours a day.”

“They’re filled, these whole dormitories are filled with people,” she says. “You can see their laundry, you can see them inside, but there are no cars because nobody’s going anywhere.”

West is the founder of Operation Shamrock, a non-profit focused on helping educate people about scams and encouraging industry and government to collaborate to stop cyber fraud.

Full article: Record $15B Bitcoin cyber scam seizure: Bay Area investigator visited suspect's company in Cambodia