U.S., China, and Dubai police jointly arrest 276 people and shut down 9 crypto scam centers

According to an April 30 announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), an international joint operation led by Dubai Police, with the participation of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and China’s Ministry of Public Security, dismantled at least 9 cryptocurrency scam hubs in the past week, resulting in the arrest of 276 people, with an additional 1 person arrested by the Royal Thai Police. In a statement released the same day, the DOJ said federal fraud and money laundering charges had been filed against 6 defendants in the U.S. Federal Court in San Diego.

DOJ Announcement: Arrest Figures and Details of the Indictments

(Source: U.S. Department of Justice)

According to the DOJ’s April 30 announcement, the six indicted individuals were accused of working for three different companies. These companies operated scam hubs, promoted fake cryptocurrency investment platforms, and deceived victims into depositing funds. Of the defendants, 4 have already been brought to trial, while 2 co-conspirators are currently at large.

The DOJ announcement quoted Andrew Tyson DuVall, assistant U.S. attorney general, as saying: “In today’s society, fraud has no borders, and law-enforcement efforts to combat and eliminate fraud also have no borders.”

Mark Remilette, chief of the FBI San Diego field office’s agent division, said in the announcement: “These indictments today show that no matter where these scam hubs are located, the FBI is determined to identify, disrupt, and dismantle these global fraud hubs that deceive Americans.”

A report released earlier this month by the FBI stated that in 2025, losses suffered by Americans due to crypto and AI-related scams exceeded $11 billion, with investment scams identified as the most destructive type of fraud.

Europol Action on the Same Day: Three Scam Hubs in Albania Dismantled

On the same day, Europol announced that with the support of authorities in Austria and Albania and the European Union’s judicial cooperation body Eurojust, three scam hubs were dismantled in Tirana, the capital of Albania, resulting in the arrest of 10 people.

According to Europol’s April 30 announcement, the criminal network involved about 450 employees, organized into departments such as customer acquisition, customer service, management, finance, IT, and human resources. Estimated losses exceeded €50 million (about $58 million), and victims were spread worldwide. Europol said victims were lured by “seemingly legitimate online investment platforms” promoted on social media; after registering, they were assigned fake brokers and pressured into making investments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which law-enforcement agencies were involved in this joint operation?

According to the DOJ’s April 30 announcement, the operation was led by Dubai Police, with the FBI and China’s Ministry of Public Security participating; another 1 person was arrested by the Royal Thai Police. Europol, in a separate operation, dismantled the scam hubs in Albania, in coordination with authorities in Austria and Albania.

What charges do the six indicted defendants face?

According to the DOJ’s April 30 announcement, the six defendants were charged in federal court in San Diego with federal fraud and money laundering offenses. If convicted, each charge carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison and substantial fines. Of them, 4 have been brought to trial, and 2 co-conspirators are currently at large.

How big was the Europol Albania operation?

According to Europol’s April 30 announcement, the Tirana operation dismantled 3 scam hubs and resulted in 10 arrests. The criminal network involved about 450 employees, and the estimated global losses exceeded €50 million (about $58 million).