DOJ Issued Seizure Warrant to Starlink Over Satellite Internet Systems Used at Scam Compound

As scam compounds successful Southeast Asia proceed to rake successful billions of dollars successful stolen funds from victims astir the world, United States instrumentality enforcement aims to chopped scammers disconnected astatine the root by issuing seizure warrants for Starlink outer net terminals that supply cybercriminals with connectivity. Two US warrants and affidavits seen by WIRED item however Starlink devices are allegedly being utilized by cybercriminals moving scam compounds successful Myanmar.

One warrant, issued connected Wednesday by US Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey, authorized the seizure of 9 Starlink terminals and 2 Starlink accounts allegedly utilized successful scam compounds successful Payathonzu, adjacent Three Pagodas Pass astatine the Myanmar-Thai border. A linked affidavit, written by FBI investigators, claims that the Starlink devices and accounts played a “substantial role” successful an alleged wealth laundering and ligament fraud cognition targeting US citizens—saying Starlink genitor institution SpaceX should “disable service” to the devices. It besides claims that astatine slightest 26 Starlink dishes appeared to beryllium connected the roofs of respective buildings making up 1 scam halfway of respective successful the Three Pagodas Pass area.

The 2nd warrant and affidavit—which was not issued to Starlink but focused connected seizing websites utilized successful scamming—also claims that “at least” 79 Starlink dishes look connected the roofs of buildings astatine the notorious Tai Chang compound successful Myanmar, which US officials accidental is controlled by the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, an equipped radical successful Myanmar which was sanctioned by the US authorities this week. The warrant was signed connected Monday by US Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Sharbaugh.

Both sets of ineligible documents mention a WIRED probe from earlier this year, which revealed that scam compounds successful Myanmar person been utilizing Starlink for net access. Starlink, which is owned and operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is simply a high-speed outer net work disposable successful much than 150 countries astir the world.

The enactment comes arsenic portion of a caller US instrumentality enforcement inaugural known arsenic the District of Columbia Scam Center Strike Force that was announced by the Justice Department, FBI, and Secret Service connected Wednesday. The effort aims to combat cryptocurrency scams targeting Americans, specifically fraud that originates from an ecosystem of systematized scamming that has evolved successful aggregate Southeast Asian countries and is often linked to Chinese organized crime. The “Strike Force” is already operational and the Justice Department says it has seized astir $400 cardinal successful cryptocurrency truthful acold that was stolen successful scams.

“The Department of Justice volition not basal by portion Chinese organized transgression victimizes Americans and bleeds adust the hard earned investments of American citizens,” Jeanine Pirro, the US Attorney for the District of Columbia, said successful a property conference. “We person seized websites being utilized by these compounds successful Southeast Asia that are utilized to victimize Americans. We are seeking warrants to spot outer terminals and accounts being utilized by the perpetrators to link to the internet.”