On September 8, 2025, the U.S. Treasury Department hit nine crypto-related entities in Myanmar with sweeping sanctions - not because they were hacking banks, but because they were running forced-labor scam compounds that tricked Americans out of over $10 billion in 2024 alone. This wasn’t just another regulatory move. It was a full-scale crackdown on what the government called modern slavery disguised as cryptocurrency investment.
How the Scams Worked
Think of a job ad on LinkedIn or Facebook: "Work from home. High pay. No experience needed." That’s how most victims were lured in. But instead of sitting at a desk, they were flown to Shwe Kokko, a lawless town on Myanmar’s border with Thailand, and locked inside a compound. There, under threat of violence, they were forced to run crypto scams against people back in the U.S.
These victims - often from Southeast Asia, but also from China, India, and even the U.S. - were made to pose as financial advisors, crypto traders, or tech support. They called, texted, and messaged real Americans, convincing them to send money into fake investment platforms. Once the cash was wired into crypto wallets, it vanished into a maze of mixing services, decentralized exchanges, and offshore wallets. No paper trail. No bank. No trace.
Meanwhile, the people running the operation - the bosses - were living in luxury. They drove luxury cars, owned private jets, and paid off local militias to keep the police away. That militia? The Karen National Army (KNA). And according to U.S. officials, the KNA didn’t just turn a blind eye. They took a cut. Every dollar that flowed out of those compounds went straight into their coffers.
The U.S. Response: Sanctions That Hit Hard
The U.S. didn’t just freeze bank accounts. They went after the whole ecosystem. Under Executive Orders 13851, 13694, 13818, and 14014, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) named:
- Nine companies operating in Shwe Kokko
- Ten financial facilitators based in Cambodia
- The Karen National Army (KNA) itself
- Its leader, Saw Chit Thu
- His two sons, Saw Htoo Eh Moo and Saw Chit Chit
Here’s what that means in practice:
- All U.S.-based assets owned by these entities are frozen - no exceptions.
- Any American who sends money to them, even accidentally, could face legal trouble.
- Foreign banks that do business with them risk losing access to the U.S. financial system.
This isn’t just about blocking wallets. It’s about choking off the oxygen these operations need to survive. The Treasury called them a "large network of scam centers across Southeast Asia that steal billions of dollars from Americans using forced labor and violence." That language? It’s deliberate. It turns these from "cybercrime" into "human trafficking with crypto." And that opens up new legal tools.
Why Myanmar? Why Now?
Myanmar’s collapse since the 2021 military coup created a power vacuum. In places like Shwe Kokko, local warlords took control. No courts. No police. No oversight. Perfect for building a criminal empire. The KNA, once a rebel group fighting for ethnic rights, became a protector-for-hire. They provided armed guards, forged documents, and even helped launder money. In return, they got a cut of the profits - millions every month.
And crypto made it easy. Unlike traditional banking, where transactions are monitored and flagged, crypto moves fast, is global, and often anonymous. Scammers used decentralized exchanges to swap stolen Bitcoin for Monero, then moved it through chain-hopping services. By the time anyone traced it, the money was in a wallet with no owner attached.
Why now? Because the losses hit a tipping point. $10 billion in 2024. That’s not just a statistic - it’s more than the GDP of some small countries. The U.S. government had to act. And they did - with unprecedented coordination between Treasury, State, FBI, and Secret Service.
Who’s Really Affected?
Most people think these sanctions hurt the scammers. But they also hurt the victims - the ones forced to run the scams.
Many of the workers in those compounds were kidnapped, sold into slavery, or trapped by debt. They weren’t criminals. They were prisoners. Some were told their families would be killed if they tried to escape. Others were drugged into compliance. The U.S. sanctions don’t target these people. They target the bosses. The ones who built the cages.
But here’s the catch: if you’re a crypto user who sent money to one of these scam platforms - even unknowingly - you’re now at risk. Those wallets are frozen. Those addresses are flagged. If you try to move funds out of them, your own wallet might get flagged too. The Treasury is warning U.S. exchanges to monitor for transactions linked to these sanctioned entities. If you got a refund from a scam, you might need to prove it wasn’t part of the fraud.
What This Means for Crypto Users
If you trade crypto, this affects you. Here’s what to watch for:
- Don’t use wallets tied to Myanmar or Cambodia - even if they look legit. OFAC has published lists of blocked addresses.
- Be wary of "guaranteed returns" - especially from Telegram groups or influencers with no verifiable track record.
- Check transaction history - if your wallet received funds from a sanctioned address, even indirectly, you could be flagged.
- Use regulated exchanges - platforms like Coinbase and Kraken now screen for OFAC violations. Unregulated ones? Not so much.
The U.S. government isn’t trying to ban crypto. They’re trying to cut out the cancer. And that means cleaning up the worst corners of the industry.
What Happens Next?
This is just the beginning. The Treasury said this action "builds on a series of actions taken in the last several months." That means more are coming. Analysts expect:
- Sanctions on Burmese military-linked banks that process crypto flows
- Pressure on Thai and Cambodian authorities to shut down border compounds
- International cooperation to track crypto mixers used by these networks
Chainalysis estimates that $50 billion in crypto fraud occurred globally in 2024. Of that, $10 billion came from Myanmar-linked scams. That’s 20% of the entire market. If the U.S. can shut down just one of these hubs, it could cut global fraud by 10% overnight.
For now, the message is clear: if you’re using crypto to fund slavery, the U.S. will find you. And they’ll freeze everything you own.
Are U.S. citizens banned from using cryptocurrency because of these sanctions?
No. U.S. citizens can still use cryptocurrency. The sanctions target specific entities and wallets tied to Myanmar-based scam operations - not crypto itself. The issue isn’t using crypto; it’s interacting with wallets or platforms linked to sanctioned groups. If you’re using a regulated exchange like Coinbase or Kraken, you’re protected. But if you’re sending money to unknown wallets or using unregulated services, you’re at risk.
Can I get my money back if I sent crypto to one of these scams?
Very unlikely. Once crypto is sent to a sanctioned wallet, it’s frozen. The U.S. government doesn’t return stolen funds - it blocks further movement. If you were scammed, report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). You may be eligible for assistance through victim support programs, but recovery of funds is rare. Prevention is the only real defense.
How do I check if a crypto wallet is sanctioned?
The U.S. Treasury’s OFAC website publishes lists of sanctioned addresses. You can search by wallet address using their Sanctions List Search tool. Many crypto exchanges now automatically block transactions to these addresses. If you’re using a non-custodial wallet, always check the history of any wallet you receive funds from. If it’s ever been linked to Myanmar, Cambodia, or the KNA - avoid it.
Why target the Karen National Army (KNA) instead of just the scam companies?
Because the KNA isn’t just a bystander - they’re the enablers. They provide armed protection, help launder money, and control the physical locations where scams operate. Without them, the scam compounds couldn’t exist. By sanctioning the KNA and its leaders, the U.S. is cutting off the support structure. This is a strategic move to dismantle the entire criminal ecosystem, not just the front-end scams.
Did the sanctions stop the scams?
Not overnight. These networks are resilient. Some may have moved operations to new locations, or changed their wallet addresses. But the sanctions have disrupted their funding, scared off investors, and made it harder to move money. Experts say the long-term impact will be significant - especially if international partners follow the U.S. lead. The goal isn’t to end it in a week - it’s to make it too risky and too expensive to keep running.
These sanctions aren’t about punishing crypto. They’re about protecting people - both the Americans who lost their savings, and the ones forced to run the scams. The line between financial crime and human rights abuse has never been clearer. And the U.S. is drawing a hard line.
