ICIJ | Crypto businesses have empowered a shadow economy that profits from crime. Meanwhile, scam victims have little hope of justice or recovering stolen money.

The New York Times | Crypto is gaining mainstream acceptance. But at least $28 billion tied to illicit activity has moved into crypto exchanges over the last two years alone.

The New York Times | Fraud losses involving crypto ATMs totaled $246.7 million in 2024. By the end of July 2025, losses had already reached $240 million according to FBI estimates.

PYMNTS | Dispelling the misconception that scammers typically target older adults, research shows that younger, affluent, college-educated consumers face the highest scam exposure.

U.S. Department of Justice | Strike Force teams focus on identifying, pursuing, and bringing key leaders to justice and preventing U.S. infrastructure from being weaponized against American citizens.

CBS News | Google is filing a federal lawsuit against a network of foreign cybercriminals accused of launching massive text-message phishing attacks.

Reuters Special Report | Meta platforms display 15 billion scam ads a day. In fact, Meta projected that 10% of its 2024 revenue would come from ads for scams and banned goods.

CA.gov | California has taken action against multiple crypto kiosk operators for violations including excessive fees and exceeding the state’s $1,000 daily transaction limit.

The Hill | Fraud experts outline the significance of the DOJ indictment of Chen Zhi and what must be done to fight industrialized scamming run by organized crime.

BBC | SpaceX says it has cut Starlink satellite communication links used by scam compounds in Myanmar tied to the multibillion-dollar scam industry.

Freedom Collaborative | A new report documents how East African nationals are being deceived and forced into criminal activity within Southeast Asia’s scam industry.

TRM Blog | TRM breaks down the recent indictment of the chairman of Prince Holding Group for crimes related to the operation of forced-labor scam compounds across Cambodia.

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

NBC Bay Area | The Department of Justice has indicted the leader of a sophisticated crime network for operating scam compounds in Myanmar.

Security Brief Australia | Scam attempts have risen 65% globally over the past year, according to BioCatch. GASA estimates that consumers lose $1.03 trillion to scams annually.

CNN | Every day, scammers manipulate people into believing they owe money. The scammers direct them to crypto ATMs to pay. And the owners of those machines profit.

The Guardian | Starlink has become Myanmar’s biggest internet provider. A US Congress committee is investigating the activity of Elon Musk’s business in providing internet access to scam centers.

US DOJ Press Release | Chairman of Prince Group indicted for operating Cambodian forced-labor compounds engaged in crypto scams. DOJ files forfeiture action against about $15 billion in Bitcoin.

The New Indian Express (AFP) | Despite a crackdown that was supposed to shut down Myanmar scam centers, they’re growing — and Starlink’s presence in the compounds has increased.

ABC7 - KGO | The voice on the phone sounded like his son. He’d been arrested. An attorney directed him to pay a $15,000 bail at a nearby Bitcoin ATM. But it was a scam.

CBC News | An investigation of the crypto ATM industry in Canada showed that the machines have become the main way scammers get money from fraud victims in Canada.

KALW Public Radio digs into the reality of scams in the age of AI with an interview with AARP’s Amy Nofziger and Operation Shamrock’s Founder Erin West.

The Guardian | People seeking connection have long been the target of criminals. But romance fraud is increasing, especially among older adults. Learn about the warning signs.

KHOU | The FBI is warning about fake websites designed to mimic the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The sites are designed to trick people into entering personal and banking details.

BBC | An Interpol operation has arrested 250 suspected cyber scammers across 14 African countries who used romance scams and sextortion to steal nearly $2.8 million from over 1,400 people.

University of Notre Dame | When banks can provide details about fraudulent activity, customers are more likely to stay. In fact, 62% fewer leave compared with those who hadn’t experienced fraud.

Futurism | Scammers are using SMS blasters to increase their phishing game. They move around with the portable devices, sending thousands of messages with dangerous links to nearby phones.

Reuters uses illustrations to tell the story of Oly, an IT consultant who flew from Ethiopia to Thailand to meet a friend for a few days. He was trapped in Southeast Asia for five months.

The New York Times | A person called a reporter, asking for him by name. The caller ID said “Chase Bank.” The scammer had a ready answer for every question the reporter asked. It almost worked.

Reuters | Reuters asked AI chatbots to draft e-mail messages for a phishing scam targeting older people. The results show how scammers can use AI to conduct fraud.