SEE FULL LIST: FBI says six most-wanted fraudsters captured, $17bn seized

The Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kash Patel, says six of the bureau’s most-wanted fraudsters have been captured across four continents, while its global crackdown on scam networks has resulted in the seizure of about $17bn.

Patel disclosed this in separate posts on his official X account on Sunday, highlighting the reported achievements of the FBI’s international fugitive-hunting efforts and Operation Blackout, its campaign against global scam centres.

According to Patel, the “six fugitives collectively spent more than 4,000 days on the run,” while fraud cases linked to the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list involved more than $2bn.

He said the suspects had believed that fleeing the United States and hiding abroad would put them beyond the reach of American law enforcement.

“They were wrong,” Patel wrote, adding that the FBI and its international partners would continue pursuing people accused of defrauding Americans, regardless of where they were hiding.

In a separate update on Operation Blackout, Patel said the campaign had resulted in the seizure of nearly $17bn, the arrest of hundreds of alleged scammers and the freeing of thousands of trafficked workers.

He added that more than 10,000 Americans had been warned before losing their money, helping to prevent an estimated $670m in financial losses.

“We’re not just investigating these criminal enterprises.

“We’re dismantling their networks, disrupting their finances, rescuing victims, and holding those responsible accountable,” he said.

Patel described the scam centres as criminal operations that exploit victims and target Americans through international fraud schemes.

He said the FBI would continue working with international partners to disrupt the networks and pursue those responsible.

“To every criminal organization targeting Americans: Justice will find you,” he added.

The wider operation has also involved raids on suspected scam centres, the disruption of online infrastructure used for fraud and efforts to identify people trafficked into working for criminal networks.