Key Takeaways
- Kash Patel warned crypto scammers as the FBI next tracks threats after seizing 127,000 BTC in May.
- Aided by Starlink, the FBI hit scam rings and next eyes human trafficking after 300 arrests in May.
- Operation Level Up saved $500M by Dec 2025, with the FBI next scaling alerts to stop pig butchering.
FBI Director Kash Patel Intensifies Battle Against Crypto Fraud on Social Media
Kash Patel, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has issued a stern warning to crypto criminals as the institution intensifies its activity to curb these operations.
Patel, who has made battling socially engineered crypto fraud, commonly known as “pig butchering” scams, a priority for the institution, specifically called out threat actors taking advantage of Americans with these tactics.
“ Crypto Fraudsters have been scamming and taking advantage of the America people for too long.” Patel highlighted on social media. “No more! This FBI will find you, and we will bring you to justice!” he concluded.
“Pig butchering” scams, the threat Patel refers to, involve getting close to unsuspecting users online and gaining their trust to induce them to deposit large sums of cryptocurrency in alleged investment platforms or to help romantic interests. Due to their characteristics, these crimes prey on the elderly and teenagers, who are unaware of the social tactics criminals use to this end.
Patel’s fight against pig butchering scams has already yielded results. In May, the FBI reported that it had seized $8 billion in cryptocurrency in “Operation Blackout,” an operation that targeted scam centres in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, which are also linked to human trafficking crimes.
As part of this operation, over 127,000 BTC were seized and over 300 people were arrested across Cambodia, Dubai, and Thailand, aided by Elon Musk’s Starlink.
The FBI has been running efforts to track and battle this kind of crypto crime since 2024, when it launched “Operation Level Up” and began identifying victims of crypto fraud and notifying them of their involvement in these schemes.
As of December 2025, over 8,000 victims have been notified, with estimated savings reaching over $500 million. In addition, the FBI reported that 80 victims were referred for suicide intervention, a testament to the toll these crimes might take on the lives of Americans.
