U.S. sanctions Myanmar rebel group over cyber scam compounds targeting Americans

13 November 2025 , 17:46

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U.S. sanctions Myanmar rebel group over cyber scam compounds targeting Americans

The U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday sanctioned a Myanmar rebel group and several associates for running cyber scam operations that target Americans and exploit trafficked workers.

The Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), four of its senior leaders, Thai national Chamu Sawang, and two Thai companies—Trans Asia International Holding Group Thailand Co. Ltd. and Troth Star Co. Ltd.—were blacklisted by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The action, coordinated with U.S. law enforcement, coincides with the launch of a new Scam Center Strike Force aimed at major scam hubs in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos.

Treasury said the sanctioned actors are connected to compounds in Myanmar’s Karen State, including Tai Chang, Huanya, and KK Park, where victims are beaten, tortured, and forced to defraud Americans online. U.S. officials estimate Americans lost at least $10 billion to scams based in Southeast Asia in 2024—a 66 percent increase from 2023—and described the designations as part of a broader effort to isolate these groups from the U.S. financial system and penalize anyone who does business with them.

Elizabeth Baker

Technology & Business Editor