Key Highlights
- The DOJ seized tickmilleas.com, a fraudulent crypto site run from Burma’s Tai Chang compound targeting U.S. investors.
- The site used fake dashboards, fabricated profits, and false deposits to trick victims into sending crypto funds.
- Google and Apple took down several of these apps, and Meta shut down over 2,000 related social media accounts.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has taken another step against a growing network of overseas scam operations by shutting down a fraudulent cryptocurrency website linked to a criminal compound in Burma.
The domain tickmilleas.com, which looked like a real investment platform, was seized after investigators found it was being used to lure Americans into depositing money that was then siphoned away by scammers.
According to an official press release, the site was controlled from the Tai Chang compound, also known as Casino Kosai, a location long associated with large-scale online fraud operations in Southeast Asia.
Federal officials say the compound has ties to groups sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury, including the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) and Trans Asia International Holding Group, both linked to Chinese organized crime and the construction of scam centers across the region.
These connections allowed the operation to present a polished façade while directing victims into a coordinated fraud scheme.
How the scam worked
Investigators discovered that tickmilleas.com showed fake dashboards, made-up profits, and false deposits meant to convince users their crypto investments were increasing.
Victims were also urged to download fake mobile apps available in major app stores. Following an FBI warning, Google and Apple took down several of these apps, and Meta shut down over 2,000 related social media accounts.
Although the domain had existed only for a short time, the scams spread rapidly. “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 announcement noted.
Strike force steps up enforcement
This case is one of the first major actions by the Scam Center Strike Force, a new effort led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The initiative brings together federal prosecutors, the FBI, the Secret Service, and agents stationed in Bangkok who track the movement of scam operations across Burma, Cambodia, and other nearby countries.
The goal is to disrupt the infrastructure these groups rely on, from their websites to their financial channels. Authorities warn that crypto investment fraud continues to grow rapidly. In 2024 alone, the FBI received more than 41,000 complaints reporting nearly $5.8 billion in losses.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s San Diego Field Office and prosecuted by the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) along with the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Since 2020, CCIPS has secured more than 180 cybercrime convictions and recovered over $350 million for victims.
DOJ’s wider crackdown on crypto crime
The domain seizure comes as the DOJ accelerates its broader push against cyber-enabled financial crime. Recently, the department disrupted a scheme that helped North Korean IT workers use stolen American identities to secure remote tech jobs and funnel money to DPRK weapons programs.
In another action, prosecutors filed a civil forfeiture case seeking over $5 million in Bitcoin that was stolen through SIM-swapping attacks.
Also Read: Bitcoin Comparatively Safer Amid Crypto Risks: Gary Gensler
