Myanmar Militia Group Accused of Running Crypto Scams That Cost Billions

On May 5, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against the Karen National Army (KNA). The group’s leader, Saw Chit Thu, and his two sons, Saw Htoo Eh Moo and Saw Chit Chit, were also named in the sanctions.

The KNA is said to have organized a range of fraud schemes, including the “pig butchering” scam. This type of fraud involves criminals slowly building trust with their victims before convincing them to invest large amounts in fake cryptocurrency opportunities.

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According to the Treasury, US citizens have lost billions of dollars through scams like these, though no exact figure was given.

The Treasury stated that the KNA not only ran these scams but was also involved in human trafficking and smuggling activities. The group operates in southeastern Myanmar near the border with Thailand.

Many countries, including the United States, continue to use the name “Burma” when referring to Myanmar to signal that they do not recognize the military governments that have controlled the country at various times since 1989.

The KNA’s scams reportedly depend on trafficked individuals who are forced to take part in fraud schemes. Victims are often tricked into thinking they are being offered real jobs but are instead made to work in scam operations. The group is believed to profit from both the stolen money and the exploitation of these workers.

On April 23, Long Island resident Eugene William Austin Jr. was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison, according to a statement from the US Attorney's Office. What happened? Read the full story.