US Sanctions Xinbi Scam Site, Freezes $52M in Crypto Assets

US authorities have moved to disrupt Xinbi Guarantee, a crypto-enabled scam marketplace, by seizing funds tied to the platform and sanctioning the organization and its technology providers. The Department of Justice (DOJ) said more than $52 million in cryptocurrency associated with Xinbi and its vendor network was restrained as part of a coordinated operation against the illicit operation.

In parallel, the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Xinbi as a significant transnational criminal organization and sanctioned SafeW Technology and Anwen Technology, alleging they supplied the infrastructure used to run the scheme. The actions target both the financial rails and the communications tools that help scam centers scale.

Key takeaways

The DOJ reported seizing two Xinbi-linked wallets used to collect vendor payments totaling about $12 million, plus seeking restraints on 47 additional wallets tied to money laundering. US court authorization also covered Telegram channels used by Xinbi vendors to market laundering services, scam-related websites, and recruitment offerings. OFAC sanctions block Xinbi’s access to US-based property and generally prohibit US persons from engaging with designated entities. Treasury alleged Xinbi shifted parts of its messaging and payments stack to technology provided by SafeW and Anwen starting around June 2025 as enforcement pressure increased. Xinbi has reportedly processed more than $24 billion in crypto and fiat since about 2022, largely routed through Southeast Asia.

DOJ seizes wallets and targets Xinbi’s vendor payments

According to the DOJ, its Scam Center Strike Force seized two cryptocurrency wallets associated with Xinbi that were used to collect payments from vendors. The wallets contained approximately $12 million.

Beyond the immediate seizures, prosecutors said a request for restraints extended to 47 additional wallets believed to be connected to money laundering across Xinbi’s broader network. The move reflects an approach aimed not only at identifying individual participants, but also at disrupting the payment flow that enables scam marketplaces to function.

The DOJ added that a US District Court in the District of Columbia authorized the seizure of Telegram channels hosting the marketplace on Sept. 7. Prosecutors say the unsealed warrant describes vendors using these channels to advertise money laundering services, custom scam-investment websites, and recruitment services for scam centers operating in Southeast Asia.

Importantly for market participants, the DOJ framed the operation as an attempt to dismantle the “financial and communications infrastructure” behind industrial-scale scam centers—an enforcement theme that has increasingly focused on platforms and intermediaries rather than only end operators.

Treasury sanctions Xinbi and alleged tech enablers

In the separate but coordinated Treasury action, OFAC designated Xinbi as a significant transnational criminal organization. The Treasury also sanctioned SafeW Technology and Anwen Technology, based on allegations that they provided technological and financial support to Xinbi.

Treasury stated that Xinbi moved portions of its merchant and money-laundering networks to SafeW’s encrypted messaging application around June 2025, describing the timing as occurring as law enforcement scrutiny intensified. Treasury also alleged Anwen developed XinbiPay—referred to as NewPay—a crypto wallet and payment application used by the marketplace.

For investors and compliance teams, these designations matter because they extend risk awareness beyond “scam tokens” or isolated wallet addresses. They highlight how enforcement can shift to the tools, services, and integrations that help illicit platforms operate at scale, including messaging layers and payment apps.

Reported crypto volume and links to other sanctioned groups

The Treasury said Xinbi has processed more than $24 billion in crypto and fiat since around 2022, with activity primarily involving Southeast Asia. The agency also stated that the platform has been used by North Korean hackers and entities connected to the sanctioned Prince Group.

OFAC explained that the sanctions block Xinbi’s US property and interests and generally prohibit US persons from transacting with designated entities. This can complicate any attempts to route funds through US touchpoints, even if the scam’s primary activity is overseas.

The DOJ also credited Tether with assisting in the investigation. While the details of that assistance were not expanded upon in the provided material, the attribution is notable given how stablecoin rails can be used in both legitimate and illicit activity contexts.

Escalating crackdown across the US and UK

This latest US action follows earlier steps by the United Kingdom. Cointelegraph previously reported that the UK imposed sanctions on Xinbi in a separate crackdown.

As described in the provided material, on March 26 the UK government sanctioned Xinbi with the goal of limiting the platform’s access to crypto. Under those sanctions, UK assets tied to Xinbi would be frozen, and the platform barred from the country’s financial, trade, and travel networks.

Taken together, the US and UK moves show how enforcement can tighten access across major jurisdictions. They also signal that regulators are increasingly willing to treat scam marketplaces as broader criminal enterprises with identifiable enabling infrastructure—communications channels, payment tools, and vendor services—rather than as isolated bad actors.

What to watch next

Law enforcement has now targeted both Xinbi’s wallets and the communications channels used to recruit vendors and promote laundering services. The next question for the industry is whether additional wallets tied to the remaining 47 restrained targets—and other infrastructure providers connected to SafeW, Anwen, or XinbiPay/NewPay—will be named or constrained as investigations mature.

This article was originally published as US Sanctions Xinbi Scam Site, Freezes $52M in Crypto Assets on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.