A U.S. court sentenced Daren Li, a dual national of China and St. Kitts and Nevis, to 20 years in prison for orchestrating a $73 million global crypto scam, even as he remains a fugitive. The operation, managed from Cambodia, involved Li and his co-conspirators targeting American victims through social media and dating platforms by employing a tactic known as “pig butchering,” which involves building trust with victims before directing them to fake crypto sites to extract funds. The sentencing occurs amid increased international scrutiny of Southeast Asian scam networks, with organizations like Interpol designating such operations as significant transnational threats.
US sentences Daren Li to 20 years for $73M crypto scam
