Chinese-linked scam bosses fled Cambodia’s crackdown and set up compounds in Madagascar. On October 27, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s Scam Center Strike Force charged six people with conspiracy to commit wire fraud for running a fake NFT scam on Americans.
Leader: Malaysian national Chui Kok Wa. The other five are from Cameroon, Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda. The U.S. has requested extradition from Madagascar.
Scammers posed as women on U.S. dating sites, built romantic trust, then directed victims to fake NFT sites. Victims connected their wallets, often approving unlimited USDT spending, allowing the scammers to drain the funds. A script from Wa’s phone called it “an emotional scam.” Staff worked overnight in Madagascar to match U.S. hours, with bonuses tied to amounts stolen.
FBI linked about 74 wallets to roughly 800 U.S. victims, with at least $516,695 in confirmed losses. Funds moved to accounts tied to Chinese-based actors.
In August, an FBI team helped process about 3,200 devices from 13 compounds. About 400 people were detained, including roughly 40 Chinese nationals. Many Chinese leaders were sent back to China before the FBI could interview them. Pirro obtained material-witness warrants for 15 of Wa’s employees who say he trafficked and abused them. They are believed held in Madagascar jails.
The Strike Force has restrained more than $1 billion in crypto, seized 700 fraudulent sites, and is expanding as these networks move into Africa, India, and Europe.
Shut down one country’s scam compounds and the operators open the next ones on another continent.
$HAEDAL $BLUR $SHELL
Leader: Malaysian national Chui Kok Wa. The other five are from Cameroon, Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda. The U.S. has requested extradition from Madagascar.
Scammers posed as women on U.S. dating sites, built romantic trust, then directed victims to fake NFT sites. Victims connected their wallets, often approving unlimited USDT spending, allowing the scammers to drain the funds. A script from Wa’s phone called it “an emotional scam.” Staff worked overnight in Madagascar to match U.S. hours, with bonuses tied to amounts stolen.
FBI linked about 74 wallets to roughly 800 U.S. victims, with at least $516,695 in confirmed losses. Funds moved to accounts tied to Chinese-based actors.
In August, an FBI team helped process about 3,200 devices from 13 compounds. About 400 people were detained, including roughly 40 Chinese nationals. Many Chinese leaders were sent back to China before the FBI could interview them. Pirro obtained material-witness warrants for 15 of Wa’s employees who say he trafficked and abused them. They are believed held in Madagascar jails.
The Strike Force has restrained more than $1 billion in crypto, seized 700 fraudulent sites, and is expanding as these networks move into Africa, India, and Europe.
Shut down one country’s scam compounds and the operators open the next ones on another continent.
$HAEDAL $BLUR $SHELL
