U.S. Seizes Scam Domain, Sanctions Hit Cambodia’s Huione Group

In a significant enforcement action, the U.S. Department of Justice seized the domain tickmilleas.com, which was operated from the Tai Chang compound, also known as Casino Kosai, in Kyaukhat, Burma. According to the DOJ, the domain was established to mimic a legitimate trading platform, presenting victims with fabricated account balances and impressive-looking returns to lure them into depositing funds. “Despite the seized domain being registered in early November 2025, the FBI already identified multiple victims who used the domain in the last month and were scammed out of their investments,” the DOJ stated. This operation is a classic example of a ‘compound scam,’ where large buildings house trafficked or coerced workers who execute online fraud schemes.

The Tai Chang compound has been linked by officials to groups sanctioned last month for their ties to Chinese organized crime and for aiding the expansion of scam centers across the region. The DOJ noted that prosecutors have already seized two other domains connected to this compound in recent weeks, indicating a focused effort to dismantle its digital infrastructure. These scams, described as Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud (CIF), typically originate from unsolicited contact on dating apps, social media, or messaging platforms, where fraudsters cultivate close virtual relationships before steering victims toward fake cryptocurrency investment platforms.

Following alerts from the FBI, major technology platforms moved swiftly to disrupt the scam’s reach. Google and Apple removed related mobile applications from their stores, while Meta took down more than 2,000 associated social media accounts. This collaboration between U.S. law enforcement and Silicon Valley is a critical component of the strategy to sever the public-facing channels these fraud networks rely on to recruit and deceive victims. The scale of the problem is vast: the DOJ reported that last year alone, over 41,000 cases of cryptocurrency investment fraud were reported in the U.S., with losses soaring to $5.8 billion.

Concurrent with the domain seizure, mounting pressure from U.S. and U.K. regulators forced the sanctioned Cambodian conglomerate Huione Group to shut its Phnom Penh branches and freeze withdrawals. The group, linked to billions of dollars in illicit transactions, was effectively wound down after losing access to the global banking system in October due to sanctions. This financial stranglehold demonstrates how targeting the economic infrastructure of these criminal networks—their ability to move and launder money—is as crucial as shutting down their fraudulent websites and apps.

The actions this week are not isolated incidents but part of a widening U.S.-led campaign to combat organized fraud that has proliferated across Southeast Asia. A recent report by the Interpol General Assembly identified cryptocurrency fraud as central to the growing scam-compound industry. The international police organization detailed how victims are often trafficked into these compounds under the false pretext of lucrative overseas jobs, only to be forced to conduct voice phishing, romance scams, and investment fraud targeting individuals worldwide.

The coordinated nature of the crackdown—spanning domain seizures, tech platform de-platforming, and financial sanctions—signals a more integrated approach by global authorities. By attacking the problem from multiple angles—the digital front end, the financial pipelines, and the physical compounds—agencies aim to create unsustainable pressure on these criminal enterprises. The closure of Huione Group’s operations following its removal from the global banking system serves as a stark warning to other entities facilitating these schemes about the severe consequences of losing access to legitimate financial channels.