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According to the Ministry of Public Security of China, recently, the police from China, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates conducted international law enforcement cooperation for the first time, jointly combating telecom network fraud crimes in the Dubai area. They successfully dismantled 9 fraud dens and arrested 276 criminal suspects.Investigations revealed that the related fraud gangs established "romantic" relationships with victims through social platforms, deceiving them into trusting them emotionally, and then inducing victims to invest in so-called high-return cryptocurrency projects, resulting in their fraud. A relevant official from the Ministry of Public Security of China stated that this joint crackdown is an important achievement of international law enforcement cooperation by the Chinese police. The Chinese police will deepen practical cooperation with more countries, carry out joint crackdown actions, resolutely eliminate fraud dens, and make every effort to capture suspects involved in telecom fraud, effectively safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of people in all countries.

According to Hongxing News, the police in Linyi, Shandong recently dismantled a telecom fraud gang targeting minors, seizing about 140,000 yuan in illegal gains and 20,000 in virtual currency on site. Preliminary investigations have confirmed that the gang has carried out over 200 fraud cases nationwide, involving a huge amount of money.The police disclosed that the criminal gang used "free game skins and equipment" as bait to lure minors into using their parents' phones and remotely controlling the victims' devices through screen sharing to carry out transfer fraud. The stolen money was then laundered in batches through methods such as mobile phone top-ups, electricity bills, and property fee payments. The upstream fraud platform settled funds through virtual currency, and the suspects took about 20% of the fraud amount as their share. It is reported that the gang leader had previously traveled to Myanmar to engage in fraudulent activities and has strong counter-investigation experience. The case is still under further investigation.

According to the Los Angeles Times, 22-year-old Evan Tangeman from Newport Beach was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for money laundering for a young fraud gang.Tangeman admitted that the gang laundered at least $3.5 million, which was obtained by stealing over $263 million in cryptocurrency from investors through social engineering tactics such as impersonating employees of cryptocurrency trading platforms. Tangeman's compensation included luxury sports cars like Lamborghinis and Porsches. Federal agents seized a black 2022 Rolls-Royce Ghost (worth over $300,000) and a Porsche GT3 RS from his home.The gang is referred to as the "crypto kids," consisting of teenagers who used the stolen funds to rent luxury mansions and private jets, purchase luxury goods, and spend up to $500,000 in a single night at nightclubs. Tangeman also instructed others to destroy digital devices after gang members were arrested.

According to DL News, a South Korean forgery gang is selling fake official documents to users via Telegram, prioritizing payments in cryptocurrency or digital gift cards. Among them, a counterfeit Yonsei University diploma is priced at about $200, a certificate of enrollment is quoted at about $100, and a fake diploma from overseas universities is priced at about $341.The report points out that the gang also offers forged materials such as driver's licenses, proof of relationship, certificates of no criminal record, and bank loan documents. South Korean police stated that the number of arrests for forgery cases nearly doubled from 2021 to 2023.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that a cryptocurrency company linked to "Russian gangs and intelligence agencies" is funding political opponents and influencing domestic cryptocurrency regulatory legislation.During a parliamentary vote on Friday, Tusk pointed out that some Polish politicians obstructing cryptocurrency regulatory legislation are serving the interests of a company named Zondacrypto, which is accused of providing "financial support" to political figures and has ties to Russia. Tusk further claimed that the company sponsored the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) event held in Poland last year, during which former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem publicly supported President Karol Nawrocki's campaign. Tusk bluntly stated that the company's funding sources involve not only "money related to the Russian mafia (Bratva)" but may also be connected to Russian intelligence agencies.Meanwhile, President Nawrocki won the election in June last year, with support from former U.S. President Donald Trump. The president's office responded that it does not oppose cryptocurrency regulation itself but opposes the "flawed regulatory model" proposed by the government. This controversy arises amid the political tug-of-war in Poland over the cryptocurrency regulatory bill. The bill aims to align with the EU's MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) framework, but the president previously vetoed the related bill and blocked parliament from overturning the veto in December, hindering the regulatory process.

The National Police of Ukraine and the Internal Security Department conducted a joint operation, arresting a suspect in the Transcarpathian region who is alleged to be involved in an international cybercrime gang. This gang is implicated in fraud and money laundering cases exceeding $100 million targeting the United States and Europe, and had previously been listed as an international wanted person by the FBI.The suspect was found in possession of forged identity documents and had even fabricated a death certificate to conceal their whereabouts. The gang deployed malware to steal personal and corporate data, subsequently extorting victims for ransom. Money laundering methods included purchasing real estate and using relatives' names to obscure the flow of funds. Authorities seized approximately $11 million in assets, including cash, real estate, vehicles, and about $3 million worth of cryptocurrency, and also apprehended two co-defendants. The suspect faces charges of document forgery and money laundering.

According to Solid Intel, the FBI, in conjunction with the Thai police, seized approximately 8,000 mobile phones and froze about $580 million in cryptocurrency assets in an operation targeting scams against Americans.

According to a report by the Korea Unified News Agency, the Jongno Police Station in Seoul announced the dismantling of a money laundering crime group primarily composed of family members and relatives.The group operated an unregistered virtual asset exchange in Myeongdong, Seoul, converting cash obtained from telephone scams into Tether (USDT) and then transferring it overseas, with the money laundering scale reaching hundreds of billions of Korean won.In addition, the group also took advantage of rising precious metal prices to purchase gold through virtual assets across borders and then exported it for profit. The police have arrested 19 suspects, including the main money laundering perpetrator A (46 years old) and three others who have been detained. The overall leader of the scam organization, B (44 years old), has fled overseas, and the police are in pursuit. Currently, cash, silver balls, and gold bars totaling approximately 6 billion Korean won have been seized as criminal proceeds.

According to reports from Zhong'an Online, the Hefei Xinzhan Public Security Bureau discovered that a virtual currency exchanger was providing money laundering services for a fraud gang while handling a telecom network fraud case involving 260,000 yuan. On January 15, 2026, the police arrested the suspect Liu in Sichuan.Investigation revealed that Liu had been engaged in virtual currency trading since 2020, contacting upstream buyers through overseas chat software and conducting transactions with fraudsters on illegal trading platforms. In June 2025, after selling virtual currency on an illegal platform, Liu withdrew the illicit funds that were transferred to his account to his personal WeChat account, which is suspected of concealing and disguising criminal proceeds. The case is currently under further investigation.

According to Hong Kong 01, the Hong Kong police disclosed that over the past three weeks, they have launched a citywide law enforcement operation against fraud, cybercrime, and money laundering, codenamed "Operation Conquer," resulting in the arrest of 682 individuals for conspiracy to commit fraud, obtaining property by deception, and money laundering. This operation involved 580 fraud and technology crime cases, with a total amount of up to HKD 620 million.Among them, in the law enforcement action codenamed "Cyber Web" by the Hong Kong Police Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau, a local online romance scam group was dismantled, along with a gang that used virtual currency for money laundering. This gang defrauded 314 victims of a total of HKD 44 million over the past 16 months, with an average amount of about HKD 150,000 per case.

According to the Jingmen Intermediate Court, the police in Luotian, Huanggang, Hubei recently dismantled a telecom network fraud gang that used offline cash withdrawals and virtual currency for money laundering, arresting 6 criminal suspects. The gang collected scam funds through a "cash withdrawal team," which were then exchanged into USDT by "U currency exchangers" and handed over to foreign fraudsters, forming a complete money laundering chain.Investigations revealed that the gang conducted cash withdrawals for telecom fraud 28 times in the areas surrounding Wuhan, with a total amount involved exceeding 1 million yuan. Currently, the core member Liu is criminally detained for suspected illegal use of information networks, while other members are criminally detained for suspected concealment and disguise of criminal proceeds.

The Shanghai Municipal Justice Bureau has issued a reminder that recently, many places across the country have seen a new tactic in telecom network fraud involving counterfeit supermarket "tasting cards" as bait. Related groups are luring individuals by distributing fake "tasting cards" offline, enticing them to scan a code to join so-called "benefit groups," and then carrying out scams such as transferring money for rebates.Police reports indicate that multiple cases have been solved in Shandong and other areas, with several suspects arrested. Investigations show that criminals use overseas communication software to contact their superiors and settle criminal proceeds through virtual currencies, making their activities highly concealed. The Shanghai Municipal Justice Bureau urges the public to enhance their awareness of prevention, not to scan unknown QR codes, and not to disclose personal information to unfamiliar platforms to avoid financial losses.

According to Crowdfund Insider, TRM Labs stated that it has traced stolen crypto assets from the 2022 LastPass vulnerability incident on-chain, with on-chain indicators suggesting the involvement of Russian cybercrime groups in the laundering process.TRM noted that although hackers used mixing tools like CoinJoin, they were still able to associate the flow of funds before and after the mixing back to the same group of attackers through de-mixing and behavioral continuity analysis. The related funds ultimately flowed into high-risk Russian exchanges Cryptex and Audi6, with the total amount involved estimated to exceed $28 million.

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) of Pakistan launched a joint raid in Karachi, dismantling an online investment scam network known as the "International Fraud Group," involving approximately $60 million.During the operation, police arrested 34 individuals in the Defense Housing Authority Phase 1 and Phase 6, including 15 foreign nationals and 19 Pakistani citizens. Sindh's Interior Minister Ranjhar stated that the gang implemented long-term "account nurturing" scams against domestic and international victims through social media and instant messaging apps, luring them into participating in fake cryptocurrency and forex trading projects. Police seized 37 computers, 40 mobile phones, over 10,000 international SIM cards, and 6 illegal communication gateway devices.Investigations revealed that the scammers first established a fake trading platform, displaying forged profit data to gain trust. After victims invested about $5,000, they were then asked for additional payments under the guise of taxes, withdrawal fees, and other charges, after which their accounts were directly closed and they lost contact. Funds typically first entered overseas bank accounts, then converted into cryptocurrency for cross-border transfers. The NCCIA pointed out that the case involves multiple countries, and related investigations are still ongoing. Currently, 22 suspects have been judicially detained.

Recently, according to market news, analyst Emmett Gallic monitored that Aleksey Bilyuchenko, who has been accused by the U.S. Department of Justice of being a Mt. Gox hacker, has deposited 1,300 BTC (worth approximately $114 million) into an unknown trading platform in the past 7 days. This series of addresses still holds 4,100 BTC (worth $360 million). They have sold a total of 2,300 BTC.Public information shows that Aleksey Bilyuchenko has been operating BTC-e, a notorious trading platform, with Alexander Vinnik since 2011, which has been accused of laundering money for global cybercriminals, including ransomware, identity theft, and drug trafficking.BTC-e was shut down by law enforcement in 2017. The U.S. Department of Justice has accused him of hacking Mt. Gox (then the world's largest Bitcoin exchange) with Aleksandr Verner since 2011, stealing approximately 647,000 bitcoins (leading to the bankruptcy of Mt. Gox). They have been charged with conspiracy to launder money and using part of the proceeds to operate BTC-e.

According to Decrypt, Thai authorities seized $8.6 million worth of Bitcoin mining equipment from seven suspected locations providing financial support to transnational scam gangs operating in Myanmar.On Tuesday, the Thai Special Investigations Office conducted raids at six locations in Long Sai District and one location in Uthai Thani Province, confiscating 3,642 mining devices valued at $7.7 million, along with power equipment worth $860,000. Thai investigators found that most of the mining equipment was installed in soundproof containers equipped with water cooling systems. These locations are linked to a scam gang based in Myanmar, with financial transactions totaling over $143 million.

The People's Procuratorate of Yuhua District, Changsha City, disclosed a "Killing Foreign Plate" fraud case, with 11 individuals involved being convicted. The gang defrauded approximately 340,000 yuan in total. The "Killing Foreign Plate" evolved from the traditional "Killing Pig Plate," specifically targeting foreigners for fraud.In March 2024, Liu and Li established a fraud gang in Yuhua District, with clear divisions of labor: 8 salespeople disguised as "financial elite women" sought foreign male targets on overseas social platforms, using emotional fraud tactics to lure victims into investing in virtual currencies on a fake platform.

The Public Security Bureau of Shunqing District, Nanchong City, Sichuan Province successfully dismantled a "score-running" gang that used virtual currency for money laundering, arresting 5 criminal suspects including Wang. It is reported that Wang and others discovered "high-paying job" advertisements online and formed a professional "team" to engage in illegal fund transfer activities.The gang connected with overseas fraud, gambling, and other black market groups through overseas encrypted chat software, recruiting members to specifically target socially idle individuals to handle bank cards, thus constructing a complete criminal chain. According to the police handling the case, this criminal group recruited "card farmers" with the bait of "high commissions," providing card numbers to overseas clients. After the funds were transferred in, they were instructed to split and transfer to designated accounts. Once the "score running" was completed, the client settled the "reward" through virtual currency. Currently, the 5 criminal suspects have been criminally detained according to the law, and the case is under further investigation. The police remind that renting, lending, or selling bank cards and payment accounts are all suspected of illegal crimes.

Recently, elementary school students encountered fraud while playing a game called "Egg Party." Criminal gangs impersonated "police" and falsely claimed that the game accounts were being used by criminals, luring victims to "cooperate with the investigation" and transfer money, with some amounts reaching tens of thousands.The People's Procuratorate of Fuyang District, Hangzhou, accused that the investigation found the fraud gang quickly converted the obtained funds into virtual currency and then laundered the money through on-chain transfers. Prosecutors remind that anyone claiming to be law enforcement and requesting transfers to so-called "safe accounts" is a fraud, and parents should strengthen anti-fraud education for minors.

ChainCatcher news, according to a report by China Central Television, Beijing police recently discovered a strange transaction during their work. The transaction involved an image of a counterfeit currency template, and the police determined that the buyer was likely involved in producing counterfeit money. Based on this clue, the police followed the trail and arrested 15 criminal suspects, dismantled 8 counterfeiting dens, and seized more than 2.5 million yuan in counterfeit currency.It was reported that the suspects in this case were all born after 2000, and some were even minors. They first learned counterfeiting techniques through overseas software, then used printers to produce counterfeit money, and finally sold it using virtual currency for settlement. The suspects not only produced the counterfeit money themselves but also taught counterfeiting techniques to others for profit.