On December 2, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the seizure of tickmilleas.com, a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment website connected to Burma’s Tai Chang scam compound. The Justice Department stated that the site was designed to deceive Americans with fabricated investment returns and lure victims into installing scam-related mobile applications.
According to the DOJ, the domain tickmilleas.com was operated from the Tai Chang property, also known as Casino Kosai, in Kyaukhat. It was set up to mimic a legitimate trading platform. Scammers reportedly guided victims through depositing funds while displaying fictitious account balances and impressive-looking profits.
DOJ Exposes Tai Chang's Elaborate Crypto Scam Network
An affidavit submitted in support of the domain seizure indicated that Tai Chang is associated with the Burmese group, Trans Asia International Holding Group Thailand Company Limited (Trans Asia), and the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA). The affidavit revealed that these two Burmese groups were designated by the Department of the Treasury as specifically designated nationals (SDNs) on November 12, among other entities.
The designation of these groups was attributed to their links with Chinese organized crime and the proliferation of scam centers in Southeast Asia.
Victims who used the web domain reported to the FBI that the website showed supposed deposits made by scammers into their "accounts." The report further detailed that scammers manipulated victims through fraudulent trades, offering substantial returns on what they believed were their investments.
The DOJ noted that the FBI had identified numerous victims who had used the domain in the preceding month and were defrauded of their investments, despite the seized domain being registered only in early November 2025.
A splash screen on the tickmilleas.com website now informs users who access the domain that it has been seized by law enforcement. This action has effectively halted the intended cryptocurrency investment fraud (CIF) activity and related money laundering operations.
The affidavit supporting the seizure disclosed that the tickmilleas.com site directed users to download mobile applications associated with the scam from both Google Play and the Apple App Store. The FBI alerted Google and Apple to these fraudulent applications, and several have since been voluntarily withdrawn.
Furthermore, based on information provided by the FBI regarding the Tai Chang fraud compound, Meta detected and removed over 2,000 accounts from its social media platforms.
Interpol Warns of Expanding Global Crypto Scam Networks
In 2024 alone, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received over 41,000 reports, detailing approximately $5.8 billion in damages attributed to CIF schemes. The DOJ explained that these CIF scams typically commence with unsolicited contact from strangers through text messages, social media, messaging applications, and dating apps.
These strangers cultivate intimate virtual relationships with their targets, encouraging them to make purported investments in or utilize cryptocurrencies. Additionally, they advise victims on how to acquire and invest in cryptocurrency using fraudulent domains and applications that appear legitimate.
The seizure of the domain occurred less than three weeks after the announcement of the formation of the Scam Center Strike Force and the seizure of two additional domains similarly used by the Tai Chang scam compound for CIF frauds.
Last month, a report released by the Interpol General Assembly highlighted that crypto fraud is central to the growing industry of scam compounds.
Cryptopolitan reported that Interpol stated victims are frequently trafficked into compounds under the pretense of attractive job opportunities abroad, where they are forced to participate in illegal schemes such as voice phishing, romance scams, and investment fraud. According to Interpol, these victims are also compelled to engage in cryptocurrency scams targeting individuals globally.
Interpol indicated that the organizations operating these scam centers employ new technologies to deceive victims and conceal their operations, with the cross-border criminal networks exhibiting a highly adaptive nature.