Crypto Scam Risk Calculator
Assess Your Scam Risk
Based on FBI data, over 66% of cryptocurrency fraud in 2024 originated from Myanmar scam networks. Answer these questions to see if you're at risk.
More than $10 billion vanished from American bank accounts in 2024-not through hacking, not through market crashes, but through carefully crafted lies told over text messages and dating apps. The money didn’t disappear into thin air. It flowed into scam centers in Shwe Kokko, Myanmar, a lawless border town where victims are targeted, workers are enslaved, and cryptocurrency is the weapon of choice.
How the Scams Work: Love, Trust, and Lost Savings
It starts with a message. A charming photo. A shared interest. Someone who listens. Someone who understands. For many Americans, especially older adults or those feeling isolated, these digital connections feel real. Over weeks or months, the scammer builds trust. They share stories about their life, their struggles, their dreams. Then comes the pitch: a once-in-a-lifetime crypto investment. A private opportunity. A guaranteed return. The victim is told to send money to a wallet, often through a fake exchange or platform that looks legitimate. Once the funds are sent, the connection vanishes. The person they thought they loved? Never existed. The FBI reports that cryptocurrency fraud jumped 66% in 2024, with nearly two-thirds of those losses traced back to operations in Myanmar. These aren’t random hackers. They’re organized teams with call centers, marketing departments, and even HR staff-except instead of hiring employees, they kidnap them.The Human Cost Behind the Numbers
Every dollar stolen from an American victim has a dark counterpart: a person trapped in a scam compound. These aren’t criminals in suits. They’re often young people from Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh, and even China, lured by fake job ads promising high-paying tech or customer service roles in Thailand or Malaysia. When they arrive in Shwe Kokko, their passports are taken. They’re forced to work 18-hour days, making calls to American targets. Refuse? You’re beaten. Try to escape? You’re sold into forced prostitution. Some are held for months. Others for years. The U.S. Treasury called this modern slavery. In September 2025, they sanctioned nine key Myanmar-based companies and 19 individuals linked to these operations-including Chit Linn Myaing Co., She Zhijang, and Yatai International Holdings Group. These aren’t shell companies. They’re real businesses with offices, vehicles, and even branded Toyota dealerships. They launder money through local banks and use the profits to buy land, build compounds, and pay off armed groups.
Why Myanmar? A Failed State, a Criminal Paradise
Myanmar hasn’t had a functioning central government since the 2021 military coup. In the chaos, armed ethnic militias like the Karen National Army (KNA) took control of border regions like Shwe Kokko. These groups don’t care about crypto laws. They care about cash. And crypto fraud brings in billions. In return for protection, the KNA gets a cut-sometimes 30% of the scam profits. That’s how these operations stay safe. Police don’t raid them. Neighbors don’t report them. Tourists don’t go there. And the world didn’t pay attention-until now. Unlike North Korea’s cyber units or Russian ransomware gangs, Myanmar’s scam networks are decentralized, local, and deeply embedded in the community. They’re not hiding in basements. They’re in high-rise buildings with AC, Wi-Fi, and security cameras. They use AI to personalize scam scripts. They train new recruits like salespeople. They even run social media campaigns to attract victims.The U.S. Response: Sanctions That Hit Hard
The September 2025 sanctions were historic. For the first time, the U.S. used four different executive orders at once: one for cybercrime, one for human trafficking, one for transnational crime, and one targeting Burma’s instability. That’s not just a financial penalty-it’s a declaration of war on the entire ecosystem. The sanctions froze bank accounts, blocked access to the U.S. financial system, and made it illegal for any American to do business with these entities. Banks, payment processors, and even crypto exchanges were ordered to cut ties. The message was clear: if you profit from these scams, you’re not just breaking the law-you’re aiding slavery. But the sanctions alone won’t fix this. The scammers just move. Some have already shifted operations to Cambodia, Laos, and even parts of Thailand. The real challenge isn’t catching individuals-it’s dismantling the entire support system: the fake KYC services, the money mules, the offshore wallets, the corrupt local officials.
What You Can Do: Protect Yourself and Others
If you’re using crypto, you’re not immune. Scammers don’t just target non-tech people. Even experienced investors have been fooled by fake ICOs, cloned exchanges, and influencers paid to push fraudulent tokens. Here’s how to stay safe:- Never send crypto to someone you met online. Not a romantic interest. Not a ‘mentor.’ Not a ‘trusted advisor.’
- Verify every platform. Check if the exchange is registered with the SEC or FINRA. Look for real company addresses, not P.O. boxes.
- Watch for urgency. Scammers create panic: “This offer expires in 24 hours!” Real investments don’t work that way.
- Report it. If you’re targeted, report it to the FBI’s IC3. If you know someone who’s been scammed, don’t blame them. Help them.
What’s Next? The Fight Isn’t Over
The U.S. Treasury says more sanctions are coming. Investigations are ongoing. But without international cooperation-especially with Thailand, which hosts the workers and logistics-these scams will keep growing. Thailand has cracked down on some compounds, but corruption and weak enforcement remain problems. Meanwhile, the victims keep adding up. Families lose life savings. Workers die in captivity. And the scammers? They just open a new office. This isn’t just a crypto problem. It’s a human problem. A governance problem. A global failure. Until countries stop treating these scams as isolated fraud cases and start seeing them for what they are-organized crime with slavery at its core-the $10 billion will keep rising. And the next victim? Could be someone you know.How do Myanmar crypto scammers find their victims?
They use dating apps, social media, and text messages to build fake relationships over weeks or months. Scammers create detailed backstories, share photos of fake lives, and slowly introduce the idea of crypto investing. Once trust is built, they push victims to send money to fraudulent wallets or fake exchanges. Many victims are older adults or people feeling lonely-making them more vulnerable to emotional manipulation.
Are the scammers themselves victims too?
Yes. Many people working in these scam centers were lured by fake job offers promising high salaries in tech or customer service. Once they arrive in Myanmar, their passports are confiscated, they’re forced to work under threat of violence, and many are sold into sexual exploitation. The U.S. Treasury has classified this as modern slavery and used human rights sanctions to target those running the operations.
Why hasn’t Myanmar shut down these scam centers?
Myanmar has been in political chaos since the 2021 military coup. The central government lost control of border regions like Shwe Kokko, which are now controlled by armed groups like the Karen National Army. These groups protect the scam centers because they get a cut of the profits-sometimes up to 30%. Law enforcement doesn’t operate there, and international pressure has had limited effect due to the remote location and lack of cooperation.
Can cryptocurrency exchanges stop these scams?
Some can, but many don’t. Major exchanges like Coinbase and Binance have improved their fraud detection and block known scam wallets. But thousands of smaller, offshore exchanges still operate with no oversight. Scammers use these to launder money or create fake tokens. Until global regulators enforce KYC rules across all platforms-and track wallet activity in real time-these loopholes will remain open.
What should I do if I think I’ve been scammed?
Stop all communication immediately. Do not send any more money. Report the scam to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov. Save all messages, wallet addresses, and screenshots. Contact your bank or crypto exchange to see if funds can be frozen. While recovery is rare, reporting helps authorities track patterns and build cases. Don’t blame yourself-these scams are designed to be convincing.
7 Responses
Let’s be real-this isn’t crypto fraud, it’s a geopolitical failure wrapped in a Ponzi scheme. The U.S. sanctions are performative; they don’t touch the KNA’s revenue streams. We’re treating symptoms while the disease metastasizes across ASEAN. The real issue? Decentralized, stateless criminal enterprises leveraging regulatory arbitrage. We need transnational task forces with extradition powers, not press releases.
I’ve talked to survivors of these compounds-real people, not stats. One guy from Vietnam told me he was forced to text 400 people a day using AI-generated love letters. He didn’t know what crypto was until they made him say ‘buy now or lose everything.’ These aren’t scammers. They’re slaves with keyboards. And we’re the ones who built the system that lets this happen.
Typical liberal hand-wringing. These people got scammed because they’re dumb. Why are we spending billions to save people who fall for ‘romance’ texts? If you’re old enough to have a bank account but not old enough to know a fake profile when you see one-you shouldn’t be allowed to touch crypto. Lock ‘em up with the scammers.
Hey everyone-just want to say this is heartbreaking but also deeply human. We all crave connection. Scammers know that. They’re not just stealing money-they’re stealing trust. If you know someone who’s been targeted, don’t shame them. Sit with them. Listen. Help them report it. We can’t fix the system overnight, but we can be the kind of people who show up when someone’s broken.
The structural analysis here is sound, but it lacks a critical epistemological lens. The ontology of trust in digital intimacy is fundamentally altered by algorithmic manipulation. The scam ecosystem functions as a postmodern performative apparatus-where affective labor is commodified, and emotional vulnerability becomes a vector for capital extraction. The sanctions, while symbolically potent, fail to address the semiotic infrastructure enabling this parasitic economy.
This is not just an American problem. In Nigeria, we see the same patterns-fake job ads, fake relationships, fake crypto. The global south is both victim and unwitting accomplice. We need global solidarity, not just U.S. sanctions. The real solution? Empower local communities to detect and report these scams. Education, not punishment.
My uncle got scammed last year. He sent $22k to someone he thought was his soulmate. He doesn’t talk about it. I don’t blame him. But I’m telling you now-if you’re reading this and you’ve been through this, you’re not alone. We need to talk about it. Without shame. Without judgment. Just help.