US Authorities Seize Starlink Terminals Fueling Scams in Myanmar

In a recent crackdown on cybercrime, the United States government has taken action to seize Starlink satellite internet terminals being used by scam compounds in Myanmar. According to legal documents seen by WIRED, US law enforcement has obtained warrants to confiscate at least 79 Starlink dishes from the notorious Tai Chang compound, as well as 9 terminals and 2 accounts from another scam center near the Myanmar-Thailand border.

The warrants claim that these Starlink devices and accounts played a "substantial role" in money laundering and wire fraud operations targeting US citizens. The US authorities are now seeking to have SpaceX, the parent company of Starlink, disable service to these devices in order to disrupt the scammers' internet connectivity.

This action is part of a new initiative called the District of Columbia Scam Center Strike Force, launched by the Justice Department, FBI, and Secret Service. The goal is to combat the growing problem of cryptocurrency scams originating from an ecosystem of systematized fraud in Southeast Asia, which has cost victims around the world billions of dollars. So far, the Strike Force has seized roughly $400 million in stolen cryptocurrency.

"The Department of Justice will not stand by while Chinese organized crime victimizes Americans and bleeds dry the hard earned investments of American citizens," said Jeanine Pirro, the US Attorney for the District of Columbia. The authorities are determined to cut off the scammers' access to the internet, a critical enabler of their operations.