Imagine falling in love, only to discover it was all a setup for a $15 billion scam! This nightmare was the reality for countless victims targeted by a criminal operation that lured unsuspecting individuals into a web of fake romance and fraudulent investments.

Federal prosecutors have revealed shocking details about this scheme, which exploited imprisoned laborers to manipulate victims into transferring massive amounts of money, mainly in Bitcoin. Dubbed "pig butchering," these scams have been preying on innocent people for years, often starting with a simple message on social media.

Scammers posing as attractive individuals would engage in lengthy conversations, building an emotional connection before pulling the rug out from under their unsuspecting victims. But the horror doesn’t stop there; many of these scammers were themselves victims, trafficked and forced to work under inhumane conditions in compounds surrounded by barbed wire.

In a groundbreaking move, prosecutors have unsealed an indictment against Chen Zhi, the alleged mastermind behind this operation. Zhi is not just any criminal; he is the founder and chairman of the Prince Group, a multinational conglomerate based in Cambodia that outwardly operates dozens of legitimate businesses across over 30 countries. However, behind the facade, Zhi and his associates turned Prince Group into one of Asia’s most notorious transnational criminal enterprises.

According to court documents filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Chen Zhi and his co-conspirators crafted their operations to optimize profits, ensuring everything from the infrastructure to the technology was in place to reach a maximum number of victims. For instance, documents reveal connections to illicit online markets for phone numbers and the construction of elaborate "phone farms," which served as automated call centers for cryptocurrency scams.

As of now, authorities are still searching for Zhi, whose current whereabouts remain a mystery, leaving a trail of devastation in the wake of his operation. This shocking case is a stark reminder of the dark side of modern technology and the lengths some will go to exploit the vulnerable.