Chen Zhi, once a rising business mogul in Cambodia, is now notorious as the alleged mastermind behind one of the world’s largest crypto fraud empires. Under the banner of the Prince Group, Chen Zhi built a sprawling conglomerate that touched industries from banking and real estate to online gambling. What appeared to be legitimate corporate success concealed a vast shadow network, with over 100 shell companies used to launder billions in illicit funds.

Authorities in the U.S. and U.K. have exposed links between Prince Group operations and a web of transnational criminal activities. These range from money laundering and investment scams to industrial-scale human trafficking and torture. Victims, often recruited with false job promises, were reportedly enslaved and forced to participate in “pig butchering” cryptocurrency fraud schemes. These scams manipulated people into fraudulent investments, funneling millions into the scam network.

Investigators have described Chen Zhi’s enterprise as a “scam empire” spanning multiple borders, using the trappings of legitimate commerce to shield its illegal activities. Prince Group companies, including banks and real estate firms, even listed shares on major stock exchanges, allowing the organization to blend in with reputable businesses while siphoning off illicit profits.

Recent crackdowns have led to the seizure of more than $14 billion in cryptocurrency, making it the largest recovery from a criminal organization. The scope of the operation—and the suffering of thousands of victims—has drawn global attention to the dangers lurking behind seemingly legitimate investment and banking conglomerates.

Chen Zhi, stripped of his Chinese citizenship and pursued by international law enforcement, now faces multiple indictments for wire fraud, money laundering, and running forced labor compounds. The case sends a stark warning about the risks of unchecked power, cross-border financial networks, and the devastating human costs of modern cyber fraud.