Feds seize $15 billion from alleged forced labor scam built on “human suffering”

Federal prosecutors have seized $15 billion from an alleged forced labor scam operation led by Chen Zhi, the founder of a multinational business conglomerate based in Cambodia. The operation used imprisoned laborers to deceive victims into investing in phony funds after establishing fake romantic relationships with them. The scammers trafficked victims and held them against their will in compounds surrounded by fences and barbed wire. Zhi and his co-conspirators are accused of netting billions of dollars through this scheme, which also involved the use of phone farms and other cybercrimes. Zhi's current whereabouts are unknown.