Operation Blackout became one of the largest campaigns against international scam networks: the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced the seizure of more than $15 billion in cryptocurrency and a blow to fraudulent centers, which mainly operated in Southeast Asian countries.
The results of the operation were shared by the director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kash Patel. According to him, hundreds of people were detained during Blackout, and thousands of workers who were forced to commit fraud in call centers were freed.
Law enforcement agencies also shut down more than 500 fraudulent investment-related websites and disabled about a million scam accounts on social networks.
We are no longer chasing scammers. We are dismantling the networks that profit from them, said Kash Patel.
What Is Known About the Scale of Operation Blackout
At the end of July, the FBI held an anti-fraud summit in Thailand. Representatives from nearly 20 countries and hundreds of law enforcement officers attended the meeting. Even then, Patel said that $15.2 billion had been seized over the 16 months of Operation Blackout.
The bulk of this amount—about $15 billion—was linked to the Cambodian group Prince Group. According to Patel, these funds were transferred to U.S. government wallets before October 2025.
The Dubai police, China’s Ministry of Public Security, and Thai law enforcement agencies participated in the dismantling of scam networks along with the FBI. According to Patel, the operation also saw the first recorded confiscation of a Telegram channel.
Why Asia Became the Center of the Investigation
At the end of 2025, information emerged about a transnational criminal network operating in several Asian countries. The perpetrators recruited foreigners, including Russians, promising jobs in Thailand.
After online interviews, some Russian citizens were invited to Bangkok and then illegally transported to Myanmar. There, people could be forced to work in online fraud centers.
Against this backdrop, Myanmar’s Parliament approved a law at the end of July that allows the death penalty for those who detain victims or force them to work in such fraudulent centers.
How the Seized Cryptocurrency Is Linked to the U.S. Bitcoin Reserve
In March 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order to create the U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve—a national bitcoin reserve. It was planned to be formed from confiscated cryptocurrencies.
As of August 5, the U.S. government held $21 billion worth of cryptocurrency. An audit of these coins for the launch of the reserve was supposed to take place in the spring of 2025, but no updated data has appeared since then.
The U.S. federal government continues to hold large volumes of digital assets, and the United States is increasingly linking the fight against crypto fraud to the future of the national reserve. Bitcoin remains the main asset in this scheme, around which the new strategy is being built.
What Is a Blackout on Financial Markets
Operation Blackout is the name of the FBI campaign against scam networks. In market terms, a blackout usually refers to a period when an investor temporarily loses normal access to trading, quotes, or their account: due to power outages, internet disruptions, broker failures, platform overloads, or sharp restrictions on operations.
Such a disruption is dangerous for markets because liquidity can deteriorate, spreads widen, volatility increases, and trading platforms respond more slowly. An investor risks not closing a position in time, placing an order, or topping up an account to maintain margin.
How to Prepare for a Blackout and Reduce Financial Risks
Preparation begins before the disruption: keep part of your funds in reserve, set stop-loss and take-profit orders in advance, check margin requirements, reduce leverage before unstable periods, and do not leave large positions without protective orders. Losses cannot be completely avoided, but you can limit the size of a possible drawdown in advance.
For autonomous operation, a charged smartphone, power bank, backup internet, UPS for the router and computer, saved broker contacts, and access to your account from a backup device are useful. A pre-written plan helps psychologically: which positions to close first, where to lock in losses, and when to stop trading so as not to make decisions in panic.
It is better to simplify your strategy during a blackout: reduce the share of high-risk assets, lower leverage, transfer part of your portfolio to more liquid instruments, and avoid trades that require constant monitoring.
How to Act in MetaTrader 4 During Disruptions and Terminal Restrictions
In MetaTrader 4, you should check your login, password, broker server, mobile app, and operation from a backup device in advance. For automation, you can use advisors, pending orders, stop-loss and take-profit, and for continuous connection—VPS or another backup communication channel.
If the terminal restricts transactions, first check the connection and server status, then try the mobile version or the broker’s personal account. If an order does not go through, it is helpful to record the time, price, screenshots, and immediately contact support. In a critical situation, it is better not to increase your position, but to focus on reducing the risk of a margin call.
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