On September 3, 2026, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), part of the US Department of the Treasury, published an analysis and an alert for financial institutions on digital asset investment scams. The schemes are run by scam centers operating outside the United States.
According to FinCEN, these schemes are largely run by transnational criminal organizations based in Southeast Asia, which operate industrial-scale scam compounds and rely on vast networks of criminal actors.
«Digital asset investment scams pose one of the most significant fraud threats facing Americans today», said Gene Lange, who is performing the duties of Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. In his words, the criminal organizations behind these scams exploit both emerging technologies and human vulnerabilities.
How the scheme works
Bank reporting shows a set of recognizable tactics. Criminals operate under assumed names, posing as potential romantic partners, new friends or new business partners, and they build websites and mobile applications that imitate legitimate investment services.
A separate part of the analysis covers the infrastructure that serves scam centers:
- Guarantee marketplaces — online markets where scam center operators buy illicit services: account creation, phishing, money laundering.
- Professional money launderers open accounts and shell companies and keep the funds moving.
- Cash-out runs through networks of money mules and stablecoin transfers to digital asset exchanges outside the United States.
What FinCEN asks of financial institutions
The alert lists the indicators that help banks and crypto services detect and report activity connected to scam centers. FinCEN specifically encourages voluntary information sharing under Section 314(b) of the USA PATRIOT Act, which lets institutions exchange information on activity that may involve money laundering while receiving safe harbor protections from liability.
As the financial intelligence unit of the United States, FinCEN also runs a Rapid Response Program: it shares financial intelligence with counterpart units in other countries so that they can stop and repatriate fraudulent transactions. Victims are advised to contact their financial institution immediately and file a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) or the nearest US Secret Service field office.
The publication was issued under Executive Order 14390, «Combatting Cybercrime, Fraud, and Predatory Schemes Against American Citizens».
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What this means for crypto holders
Funds that passed through scam schemes keep moving across the blockchain and reach ordinary users through P2P deals and exchange services. Checking an address before you accept a transfer shows whether its history contains links to scams and other risky sources.
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