{
  "id": 6480242,
  "title": "US sanctions Chinese-language Xinbi Guarantee marketplace over cyber scams",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/us-sanctions-chinese-language-xinbi-guarantee-marketplace-over-cyber",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-09T21:48:23.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3366977/us-sanctions-chinese-language-xinbi-guarantee-marketplace-over-cyber-scams"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The US Department of Justice sanctioned Chinese-language marketplace Xinbi Guarantee and two associated entities on Wednesday, as part of a broader effort to combat transnational cybercrime. The enforcement action, conducted by the US Department of Justice's Scam Centre Strike Force alongside the Department of the Treasury, seized Telegram channels and cryptocurrency wallets linked to the platform, which has more than 650,000 users and processed over $24 billion in digital assets and fiat currency since its inception around 2022.\n\nXinbi Guarantee allegedly facilitated scam centers to buy and sell illicit services targeting Americans, serving as a central node connecting criminal syndicates with merchants. Two Singapore-based and one Cambodia-based companies were also sanctioned for allegedly providing applications supporting Xinbi's operations. The US Treasury stated that Xinbi's platform enabled various forms of financial fraud, including cybercrime.\n\nThe Chinese embassy in Washington did not comment on the sanctions. While many scam operations are based in Southeast Asian countries, including Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, investigators and US officials have linked numerous activities to Chinese transnational crime groups. This move is part of the second Trump administration's response to cybercrime and fraud, following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in March and the formation of a Counter-Scams Contact Group with 12 other countries.\n\nChina has also taken action against online fraud, collaborating with Southeast Asian governments and law enforcement to raid compounds and repatriate scam workers to China. The growth of Southeast Asia's cyberscam industry, which initially targeted Chinese speakers before expanding globally, has raised concerns. Analysts note that Chinese criminal syndicates shifted focus from Chinese nationals to Americans after Beijing's 2023 crackdown in the region.\n\nThe sanctions follow a series of US government reports highlighting the financial damage caused to Americans by Southeast Asia-based scams linked to Chinese criminal organizations. In March, the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission reported that Americans lost at least $10 billion to such scams in 2024, with projections indicating higher figures for 2025. Chinese criminal organizations are increasingly leveraging advanced technology and cryptocurrencies to evade crackdowns, according to the commission.\n\nA House Select Committee on China report in May found that scam centers in Southeast Asia, particularly in Cambodia and Myanmar, are part of a criminal ecosystem involving cyber fraud, human trafficking, and money laundering. The committee concluded that Chinese governance and enforcement patterns have enabled the growth of these networks, rather than direct state control or state-backed conspiracies.",
  "summary": "The Trump administration sanctioned Chinese-language marketplace Xinbi Guarantee on Wednesday, along with two affiliated organisations, as part of a wider crackdown on transnational cybercrime. The US Department of Justice also announced it had seized Telegram channels and cryptocurrency wallets tied to the platform, which has over 650,000 users, freezing more than US$52 million in potentially…",
  "key_points": [
    "US sanctions Chinese-language marketplace Xinbi Guarantee over cyber scams",
    "Department of Justice's Scam Centre Strike Force led enforcement action",
    "Sanctions target Telegram channels, wallets, and three companies"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Reuters Business via SCMP",
        "title": "US sanctions Chinese-language Xinbi Guarantee marketplace over cyber scams",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/us-sanctions-chinese-language-xinbi-guarantee-marketplace-over-cyber-6486254",
        "published": "2026-09-09T21:48:23.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}