Ethical Hacking News
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions on several large networks of cyber scam operations in Southeast Asia, resulting in the freezing of assets and blocking of financial transactions for billions of dollars in stolen funds from Americans.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions on large networks of cyber scam operations in Southeast Asia, responsible for stealing over $10 billion from Americans in 2024. The sanctions target nine entities linked to the Karen National Army (KNA) in Burma and ten entities linked to organized crime networks in Cambodia. Key targets include Chit Linn Myaing Co., Ltd (CLM Co.), Tin Win, and Saw Min Min Oo, who control properties hosting scam centers and manage companies involved in scam operations. The sanctions block these entities from the U.S. financial system, ban them from doing business with Americans, and freeze their property in the U.S. These measures are expected to significantly impact cyber scam operations, leading to a 66% increase in financial damage caused by South Asian scam centers on Americans in 2024.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has taken a significant step towards combating cyber crime by imposing sanctions on several large networks of cyber scam operations in Southeast Asia. According to the latest announcement, these networks have been responsible for stealing over $10 billion from Americans in 2024 alone.
The sanctions were imposed under Executive Orders 13851 on transnational crime, 13694 on cyber-enabled threats, 13818 on human rights abuses, and 14014 on destabilizing actors in Burma. The targets of the sanctions include nine entities linked to the Karen National Army (KNA) in Bruma, as well as ten entities linked to various organized crime networks in Cambodia.
One of the main targets of the sanctions is a company called Chit Linn Myaing Co., Ltd (CLM Co.), which serves as the holding company for KNA's operations. CLM Co. has been found to have significant ties to Myanmar Yatai, a company that supports scam operations and has connections to human rights abuses.
Another key target of the sanctions is Tin Win, who controls property that hosts scam centers and runs an energy company supplying power to these scam sites. Saw Min Min Oo, a KNA official, has also been sanctioned for his role in managing companies involved in scam operations.
The sanctions have a significant impact on the sanctioned entities, as they are now blocked from the U.S. financial system and are banned from doing business or having any financial transactions with Americans. Additionally, any property they hold in the U.S. is frozen, and their access to international banks, partners, and platforms is severely limited.
While there have been no arrests made yet, the sanctions still bring notable legal exposure and financial isolation to these threat actors. The move marks a significant step towards combating cyber crime and protecting Americans from fraudulent activities.
The impact of the sanctions can be seen in the significant increase in the financial damage caused by these South Asian scam centers on Americans in 2024. According to the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), this increase was recorded at 66% compared to the previous year.
It is worth noting that while no arrests have been made, the sanctions are a crucial tool in disrupting and dismantling these cyber scam operations. By cutting off their financial channels and limiting their access to international resources, the U.S. government has dealt a significant blow to these threat actors.
In conclusion, the imposition of sanctions by the U.S. Department of the Treasury on notorious Southeast Asian cyber scam operations marks an important step towards combating cyber crime. The move is expected to have a significant impact on these threat actors and their ability to carry out fraudulent activities in the future.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/US-Department-of-the-Treasury-Imposes-Sanctions-on-Notorious-Southeast-Asian-Cyber-Scam-Operations-ehn.shtml
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/us-sanctions-cyber-scammers-who-stole-billions-from-americans/
Published: Tue Sep 9 15:58:05 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
