DOJ Warrants Target Starlink Terminals to Disable $400M Southeast Asia Fraud Hubs
The United States is intensifying pressure on the infrastructure used by organizers of major online-fraud hubs across Southeast Asia. Authorities are attempting to sever the communications channels that enable sprawling operations built on cryptocurrency schemes and the systematic deception of victims worldwide. The move is driven by the fact that these hubs have, for years, relied on satellite internet to evade oversight by local telecommunications providers.
The Department of Justice has issued warrants to disable a number of Starlink terminals that, according to investigators, are operating in several large compounds in Myanmar. The first warrant authorizes the deactivation of nine devices and two accounts linked to facilities near Payathonzu. Investigators note that this equipment provided connectivity to participants involved in laundering funds and defrauding U.S. citizens. According to the agency, no fewer than twenty-six antennas connected to a single fraud center were identified on surrounding rooftops.
The second warrant targets websites used in fraudulent schemes, while also documenting dozens of Starlink terminals installed at the Tai Chang complex. U.S. authorities associate this site with an armed group recently added to sanctions lists. Both sets of warrants rely on an extensive investigation showing that operators systematically used satellite internet to conceal their activities.
These measures follow the work of a new joint task force formed by the DOJ, the FBI, and the Secret Service to combat cryptocurrency-driven scams operating through regional compounds. According to officials, roughly four hundred million dollars tied to victim complaints have already been frozen.
Investigators assert that one hub near the “Three Pagodas Pass” was part of the Wealthob scheme. Individuals received unsolicited messages, after which scammers moved the conversations to messaging apps and enticed victims into fictitious investments. Cross-referencing data from SpaceX and Meta enabled authorities to link the phone number used in the scam to specific terminals and to two accounts registered in the Philippines.
SpaceX has not commented on the warrants, though the company previously disclosed having blocked more than 2,500 devices located in areas associated with such centers. Independent analysts observe a decline in satellite-internet usage within Myanmar. Meta has also issued no statement, though it earlier reported millions of blocked accounts tied to these operations.
Case materials emphasize that official Starlink accounts are providing fraud networks with a reliable channel for moving funds abroad and must therefore be disabled. The Justice Department notes that it cannot reveal plans for physically seizing the hardware, but maintains that terminating service to the identified terminals is essential.
Despite periodic crackdowns by local authorities, many of these compounds continue to operate. Pressure on terrestrial communications drives criminal groups to smuggle equipment, while their schemes continue to scale, increasingly leveraging new tools — including generative AI. Against this backdrop, U.S. senators have submitted inquiries to SpaceX demanding tighter oversight of Starlink usage within Myanmar.
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