WASHINGTON—Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Kok An—a Cambodian senator who controls scam compounds throughout the country—as well as 28 individuals and entities in his network. Southeast Asian scam operators within this network have stolen millions of dollars from U.S. victims while operating under the protection of Kok An and his political connections. Using the lure of friendship or romantic relationships, these fraudsters coax vulnerable Americans into transferring their savings in the form of digital assets by promising investment opportunities and high returns, only to steal the funds outright. In some cases, individuals perpetrating these scams are themselves victims of human trafficking and are forced to commit unlawful acts under threat of violence. Kok An and his affiliates’ network of scam centers, operating out of casinos and office parks retrofitted for fraudulent activity, launder victims’ funds and provide a base to target U.S. citizens and commit human rights abuses with impunity.
“Eliminating fraud is a top priority for the Trump Administration,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Treasury will continue to target fraudsters and scam centers that steal billions of dollars from hardworking Americans, no matter where they operate or how well-connected they are.”
This action is being taken in coordination with the Scam Center Strike Force, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the U.S. Secret Service (USSS). Alongside OFAC’s sanctions today, the Scam Center Strike Force announced charges against two individuals running a scam compound in Burma and attempting to start a scam compound in Cambodia, the seizure of a social media messaging app used to recruit human trafficking victims to a scam compound in Cambodia, and the seizure of 503 fraudulent web domains used to perpetuate cryptocurrency investment fraud. Recognizing the significant harm Southeast Asian scam centers inflict on Americans, the Scam Center Strike Force has directed agents and attorneys from U.S. law enforcement agencies to investigate, disrupt, and prosecute the most egregious scam centers and their leaders, with a focus on Burma, Cambodia, and Laos. The Strike Force works collaboratively with OFAC, the Department of State, and other agencies to deploy all available tools to disrupt scam centers at the highest levels through sanctions, seizures, forfeitures, and criminal prosecution; secure U.S. infrastructure against use by scammers; and support and protect U.S. victims through public education and the return of stolen funds.
Specifically, this action is being taken in parallel with separate law enforcement efforts by the FBI’s Boston Field Office and the USSS related to this network. In 2024, USSS previously took action against a group of individuals based in the United States who supported this network and laundered over $73 million in victim funds generated through digital asset investment scams. This action follows a November 12, 2025 OFAC designation, also coordinated with the Scam Center Strike Force, of a Burmese armed group and seven other companies and individuals based in Thailand and Burma involved in scam centers, including the Tai Chang scam compound in Burma’s Karen State. In parallel with today’s designations, the U.S. Department of State is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the seizure or recovery of scam proceeds related to cryptocurrency investment fraud activities at the Tai Chang scam compound, as well as up to $4 million for information leading to the arrest of Daren Li, an individual associated withury.gov this network who was convicted and sentenced on money laundering charges in the Central District of California but remains a fugitive after removing his ankle monitor and fleeing the United States.
These actions are being taken in furtherance of President Trump’s Executive Order (E.O.) 14390 of March 6, 2026, “Combating Cybercrime, Fraud, and Predatory Schemes Against American Citizens,” which orders U.S. Government agencies to unleash every available tool to stop foreign-backed criminal networks that exploit vulnerable Americans through cybercrime, cyber-enabled fraud, and extortion. OFAC is designating these 29 targets pursuant to E.O. 13694, as amended by E.O. 13757, E.O. 14144, and E.O. 14306 (“E.O. 13694, as amended”).
OFAC’s designations build on previous Treasury-wide efforts to disrupt scam operators based in Cambodia. On October 14, 2025, OFAC, in coordination with the United Kingdom’s (UK) Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, designated the Prince Group, a Cambodian business conglomerate that operates scam centers housing cyber scam operations targeting U.S. and UK persons, as a transnational criminal organization and sanctioned 146 associated persons. Other actions include OFAC’s September 8, 2025, designation of 12 companies and seven individuals based in Cambodia and Burma for their roles in facilitating human trafficking and cyber scams targeting U.S. persons, and OFAC’s September 12, 2024, designation of Cambodian tycoon Ly Yong Phat, his conglomerate L.Y.P. Group, and four of his hotels and resorts. Treasury continues to take these actions in close coordination with our international partners to address the shared threat posed by scam centers. Treasury will also continue to take aggressive steps to prevent illicit abuse of the digital asset industry, given its crucial role in global innovation and economic development.
SCAMS TARGETING AMERICANS
Criminals based in Southeast Asia are increasingly targeting Americans through large-scale cyber scam operations. A U.S. government estimate reported that Americans lost at least $10 billion in 2024 to Southeast Asia-based scam operations, a 66 percent increase over the prior year. While these operations employ a variety of techniques to cheat victims out of their savings, one of the most common and lucrative schemes involves digital asset investment fraud. According to FinCEN’s September 2023 alert on these scams, perpetrators send text messages directly to potential targets’ phones and often use the promise of potential romantic relationships or friendships to gain the trust of their victims. They then convince their targets to make purported “investments” in digital assets on websites that are designed to look like legitimate investment platforms but are actually controlled by the scammers themselves. Ultimately, these scammers steal the funds deposited on the platforms under their control. Individual U.S. victims of these scams have in some cases lost millions of dollars or their entire life savings.
Southeast Asia-based criminal organizations often recruit individuals to work in scam centers under false pretenses, such as by offering fake technology or customer service jobs at the centers’ connected casinos, resorts, and front companies. Once the individuals arrive at the compounds, the operators confiscate their passports and use debt bondage, physical violence, the threat of forced prostitution, and other methods to coerce them to scam strangers online.
Additional information on digital asset investment scams and the risks they pose can be found in Treasury’s 2026 National Money Laundering Risk Assessment.
KOK AN: CAMBODIAN SCAM CENTER KINGPIN
Kok An is a Cambodian senator and businessman who owns numerous companies and properties throughout the country that house scam centers whose occupants have stolen money from Americans. His flagship hospitality company, Crown Resorts, owns casinos, resorts, and other buildings in Poipet, Sihanoukville, Bavet, and other Cambodian cities that have been converted into compounds from which criminal organizations conduct digital asset investment fraud and other scams. Victims of human trafficking taken to these facilities have reported that they and thousands of others are exploited by fraudsters based at the properties and forced to steal money from victims, including Americans, to repay them for the costs of being abducted. In its annual Trafficking in Persons Report, the Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons documented reports from trafficking victims that scam managers coerce them to defraud individuals using quotas of people to message per day and subjecting those who fail to meet the quotas to physical violence.
Kok An is the owner of these properties through Crown Resorts and collects rental income from its occupants. He also provides services and employees to the compounds, including uniformed security guards, through Anco Brothers Co Ltd (Anco Brothers), his business conglomerate. Anco Brothers also holds the license for the casinos operating on the properties. Nearly all major scam compounds in Cambodia are connected to casinos, which serve to launder the proceeds of scams.
OFAC is designating Kok An, Crown Resorts, and Anco Brothers pursuant to E.O. 13694, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, cyber-enabled activities originating from, or directed by persons located, in whole or substantial part, outside the United States that are reasonably likely to result in, or have materially contributed to, a threat to the national security, foreign policy, or economic health or financial stability of the United States and that have the purpose of or involve causing a misappropriation of funds or economic resources, intellectual property, proprietary or business confidential information, personal identifiers, or financial information for commercial or competitive advantage or private financial gain. OFAC is also designating several companies owned by Kok An that are listed below.
RITHY RAKSMEI AND KOK AN’S WIDER SCAM NETWORK
Kok An’s close associates also profit from cyber-enabled fraud targeted at Americans and others. One of these associates is Rithy Raksmei (Rithy), who owns several companies that manage scam compounds. Rithy is the head of K99 Culture and Media Co Ltd (a.k.a. K99 Group), a casino operator that owns several properties in Cambodia where trafficking victims are forced to scam Americans and others. Reports from individuals held at K99 Group facilities and victims of scams indicate that criminal organizations operate digital asset investment fraud schemes from those locations, with the scams involving trafficking victims and perpetrators posing as potential romantic interests and convincing targets to send funds to fake digital asset trading platforms. Rithy has used his political connections to expand his business holdings, build more casinos, and avoid legal consequences for his provision of space to criminals for scams and human trafficking.
In addition to owning and operating their own scam compounds, Rithy and K99 Group have supported the development of other properties in Sihanoukville used to defraud Americans. These include Xing Tian Di Co Ltd (Xing Tian Di) and Nan Tian International Hotel Co Ltd (a.k.a. Nan Hai). Xing Tian Di, controlled by K99 Group and co-located with some of Rithy’s other casinos, has been cited in trafficking victims’ reports as the site of romance scams, Ponzi schemes, the attempted theft of digital asset wallets, and other online fraud. Nan Hai has housed scam workers since at least 2019 and also provides casino infrastructure to K99 Group. Both companies’ properties have also reportedly been the sites of unlawful detentions, beatings, and deaths of their occupants.
Two of Rithy’s business associates are Aik Paung and Sai Aung Linn, two Burmese-born men who obtained Cambodian citizenship while investing in the country’s scam industry. Both Aik Paung and Sai Aung Linn are former managers of Nan Hai, and Sai Aung Linn submitted the registration for Nan Hai’s casino license. They are also the owners of Xihu Resort Hotel Co Ltd (Xihu), another company that operates a Sihanoukville casino associated with K99 Group. Gambling companies operating within Xihu have been associated with money laundering linked to organized crime, as well as human trafficking for cyber scams. Additionally, Aik Paung and Sai Aung Linn are the owners of Heng Feng Group Co Ltd (Heng Feng Group), a property management company located in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
OFAC is also designating Heng Feng Cambodia Bank plc, a financial institution with branches in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville. The bank, whose main property is located at Heng Feng Group’s headquarters and which directs customers to collect foreign exchange at Xihu’s casino counter, is controlled by Sai Aung Linn. Sai Aung Linn is a director, shareholder, former chairman, and member of the board risk committee and board audit committee of Heng Feng Cambodia Bank plc.
OFAC is designating Rithy, K99 Group, Nan Hai, Xing Tian Di, Aik Paung, and Sai Aung Linn pursuant to E.O. 13694, as further amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, cyber-enabled activities originating from, or directed by persons located, in whole or substantial part, outside the United States that are reasonably likely to result in, or have materially contributed to, a threat to the national security, foreign policy, or economic health or financial stability of the United States and that have the purpose of or involve causing a misappropriation of funds or economic resources, intellectual property, proprietary or business confidential information, personal identifiers, or financial information for commercial or competitive advantage or private financial gain. OFAC is also designating Xihu and Heng Feng Group pursuant to E.O. 13694, as further amended, for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Aik Paung and Sai Aung Linn; and is designating Heng Feng Cambodia Bank plc pursuant to E.O. 13694, as further amended, for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Sai Aung Linn. Additionally, OFAC is designating several companies owned by Rithy, Aik Paung, and Sai Aung Linn that are listed in the Annex below.
BOLAI: LAUNDERING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF SCAM-DERIVED FUNDS
Another company that owns a casino and scam compound linked to K99 Group is Brilliancy Sihanoukville Investment and Development Co Ltd (a.k.a. Bolai). Bolai not only coerces human trafficking victims to target Americans with digital asset investment fraud scams, but also operates social media channels and gambling websites that enable criminals to launder money and move funds across borders. Bolai was founded by Luo Hong, an individual who obtained Cambodian citizenship after making large investments in the country, including through Huan Hai Bo Lai International Investment Co Ltd (Huan Hai), another real estate investment firm that has supported Bolai’s expansion, and SSDD Construction Material Co Ltd (SSDD), a construction company that Luo Hong owns.
In its investigation of this scam network, the USSS identified individuals based in the United States who received bank transfers from Americans after making false promises that they would take the cash and invest it in digital assets on behalf of the senders. In reality, these individuals sent the money directly to bank accounts in Cambodia, including at least $1.3 million to those belonging to Luo Hong. Eight U.S.-based co-conspirators have pleaded guilty to participating in this scheme, including Daren Li.
OFAC is designating Bolai and Luo Hong pursuant to E.O. 13694, as further amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, cyber-enabled activities originating from, or directed by persons located, in whole or substantial part, outside the United States that are reasonably likely to result in, or have materially contributed to, a threat to the national security, foreign policy, or economic health or financial stability of the United States and that have the purpose of or involve causing a misappropriation of funds or economic resources, intellectual property, proprietary or business confidential information, personal identifiers, or financial information for commercial or competitive advantage or private financial gain. OFAC is designating Huan Hai and SSDD pursuant to E.O. 13694 for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, Luo Hong.
COMPANIES OWNED BY KOK AN, RITHY, AIK PAUNG, AND SAI AUNG LINN
OFAC is designating the following entities pursuant to E.O. 13694, as further amended, for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Kok An. Kok An is the chairman of all of these companies.
- 855 Investment Corporation
- A Wee Trading Co Ltd
- Anco Specialized Bank Ltd
- Anco Water Supply Co Ltd
- KEP Hydropower SVTK & MSRC Co Ltd
- Khmer Electrical Power Co Ltd
- Mekong Potable Water Construction Import Export Co Ltd
OFAC is designating the following additional entities pursuant to E.O. 13694, as further amended, for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Rithy. Rithy is a director of each of these companies.
- Aurum Co Ltd
- Kaissa Travel Co Ltd
- Khemreah Co Ltd
OFAC is designating the following additional entities pursuant to E.O. 13694, as further amended, for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Aik Paung and Sai Aung Linn. Aik Paung and Sai Aung Linn are the sole directors of each of these companies.
- Xiong Wei Investment Co Ltd
- Xiong Wei Real Estate Co Ltd
OFAC is designating the following additional entity pursuant to E.O. 13694, as further amended, for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Sai Aung Linn. Sai Aung Linn is the chairman of this company.
- Fung Yuet Resort Hotel Co Ltd
SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS
As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of blocked persons.
Violations of U.S. sanctions may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties on U.S. and foreign persons. OFAC may impose civil penalties for sanctions violations on a strict liability basis. OFAC’s Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC’s enforcement of U.S. economic sanctions. In addition, financial institutions and other persons may risk exposure to sanctions for engaging in certain transactions or activities involving designated or otherwise blocked persons. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated or blocked person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person. Non-U.S. persons are also prohibited from causing or conspiring to cause U.S. persons to wittingly or unwittingly violate U.S. sanctions, as well as engaging in conduct that evades U.S. sanctions. Individuals located in the U.S. or abroad who provide information about sanctions violations to FinCEN’s whistleblower incentive program may be eligible for awards if the information they provide leads to a successful enforcement action that results in monetary penalties exceeding $1,000,000.
The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC’s ability to designate and add persons to the SDN List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, or to submit a request, please refer to OFAC’s guidance on Filing a Petition for Removal from an OFAC List.
For more information on the individuals and entities designated or otherwise blocked today. To report internet crime to the FBI, click here.
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