Taking action to demonstrate the United States' commitment to combating transnational cyber-fraud networks, the Department of Justice has announced a decisive seizure of tickmilleas.com, a domain allegedly used by a sophisticated cryptocurrency investment scam originating in Burma, as a decisive step to underscore its intensifying campaign against cyber-fraud networks.
Investigators have determined that the site, linked to the notorious Tai Chang scam compound, a hub favored by Burmese groups previously designated by the U.S Treasury for connections to Chinese organized crime and large-scale Southeast Asian scam operations, was intentionally crafted to lure foreign investors with fabricated promises of high returns, based on fabricated information provided to the investigators.
A further manipulation took place to induce the victim to download fraudulent mobile applications that were part of the scheme's broader ecosystem.
Law enforcement authorities have already taken coordinated actions that led to the removal of malicious apps from major app stores and the eradication of more than 2,000 scam-related accounts across Meta platforms as a result of coordinated actions.
A renewed global alert has also been issued by Interpol, warning that such criminal activities are rapidly on the rise due to the rapidly developing use of technology and, in some cases, trafficking of forced labor in order to sustain these criminal enterprises.
Using a counterfeit platform, the scammers deceived their victims into transferring their savings, and they usually presented fabricated dashboards that showed handsome, albeit fictional, gains from their investments, using the counterfeit platform.
A number of victims reported seeing supposed deposits that were entered by the criminals themselves, according to the FBI. This was done in order to create the appearance that the money would be in a good position and to encourage further contributions. Even though the domains were registered only in early November 2025, investigators have already identified multiple individuals who have been induced to contribute cryptocurrency to the scam in recent weeks.
Additionally, users were directed to download mobile applications which were alleged to be related to the platform through the website, prompting the FBI to alert both Google and Apple; some of the fraudulent apps have since been removed from the market. As the domain has been seized, visitors are met with an official law enforcement notice, eschewing what once looked like an impressive facade for an international fraud operation.
As the FBI San Diego Field Office continues its investigations, as well as the newly formed Scam Center Strike Force, it has been revealed that the seized domain was not an isolated fraud, but rather an extension of a scam infrastructure in Southeast Asia which is well-entrenched in the digital world.
Tickmilleas.com, a website that sells pig meat and related products, was identified by authorities as having been built inside the Tai Chang compound in Burma, a fortified enclave located on the Thai-Myanmar border known for violent enforcement tactics, coerced labor, and large-scale "pig butchering" schemes.
Associated with the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, this compound has become a central engine within a multibillion dollar fraud economy, which targets Americans through sophisticated cryptocurrency investment traps that are disguised as professional trading platforms operated by affiliates of the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, as well as broader Chinese transnational crime syndicates.
In order to be convincing to the victims, the website which was taken down by U.S. officials was designed as a convincing imitation of the legitimate TickMill trading service. It was decorated with fake trading dashboards, staged deposits, and fraudulent mobile applications aimed at luring victims deeper into the con.
The investigators noted that there was a high degree of trafficking among the individuals working for the scam, as they were forced to engage in scripted interactions that were meant to reassure victims and extract increasing amounts of money from them.
Despite the domain having been active for just a short time, federal agents were able to quickly map its infrastructure, identify the investors who had been deceived, and cut off the digital channels used for siphoning funds within minutes of its activeness.
There had been three successful domain seizures linked to Tai Chang within the past few weeks, with the rapid intervention marking the third in the region—a sign that the U.S. efforts are becoming more aggressive, and the criminal networks operating around the region are experiencing a greater degree of disruption.
These operations are part of a broader criminal ecosystem known as pig butchering, which is a long-con scam in which perpetrators build trust with victims before stealing from them their savings.
Officials from the U.S. estimate that these types of fraud schemes are draining approximately $9 to $10 billion from Americans every year, underscoring both their scale and sophistication in the way they are developed and executed.
However, the human cost of such fraud schemes goes far beyond financial loss.
Human rights groups, investigators, and experts have all repeatedly gathered evidence that a substantial number of these scam centers' staff members are trafficking victims who have been coerced, threatened, and violently forced into participating. As a result of the expansion of scam compounds across parts of Southeast Asia, it is reportedly estimated that they account for a substantial share of the country's economic output as well.
According to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, there were more than 41,000 reports of cryptocurrency investment fraud in 2024, involving losses of over $5.8 billion, but investigators believe that the actual numbers don't even come close to the true damages, as many victims are too embarrassed or scared to come forward.
A growing number of cross-border fraud networks are being uncovered by U.S. authorities. Officials are warning the public to be vigilant against platforms that promise effortless returns or encourage the download of unfamiliar apps - tactics that have been repeatedly used in these types of schemes. Experts note that if early skepticism, independent verification, and prompt reporting are utilized, they can significantly reduce the reach of such criminal organizations.
Despite the fact that tickmilleas.com has been dismantled, investigators stress the importance of sustained international cooperation and ensuring that consumers remain informed in order to disrupt the larger ecosystem that provides the basis for these schemes to flourish.
