Partner of Trump-Backed World Liberty Linked to Sanctioned Cambodian Scam Company: Report

A institution partnered with World Liberty Financial—the crypto task backed by President Donald Trump—has been linked to individuals connected to a sanctioned Cambodian conglomerate accused of moving planetary scam operations, according to an probe published Monday by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and Guardian Australia.

The probe recovered that a planned “blockchain taxable resort” successful Timor-Leste tied to the partner, AB network, progressive 3 individuals who were aboriginal sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury arsenic portion of a crackdown connected the Cambodia-based Prince Group. The project, promoted arsenic a luxury destination for cryptocurrency innovators, was backed by a section improvement institution established with $10 cardinal successful capital.

Corporate records amusement that the bulk shareholder of the improvement institution was Yang Jian, a Cyprus-based businessman sanctioned successful October for allegedly moving with Prince Group CEO Chen Zhi connected a abstracted edifice task described by U.S. authorities arsenic a “predatory investment.”

The 3 sanctioned individuals were removed from the Timor-Leste task soon aft the sanctions were announced, and determination is nary grounds that illicit funds flowed into the development, oregon that AB web is straight connected to the Prince Group.

The AB web announced its concern with World Liberty Financial successful November, granting it the close to usage the company’s U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin USD1 connected its blockchain. The collaboration followed a bid of high-profile announcements by AB, which has promoted ties to planetary governmental figures and listed erstwhile satellite leaders among advisers to its Irish-registered nonprofit arm.

World Liberty Financial, founded successful 2024 by partners including companies affiliated with the Trump and Witkoff families, said it had carried retired owed diligence connected AB and was not made alert of the resort, oregon of individuals linked to the Timor-Leste project. Lawyers for the institution told investigators it is “committed to liable practices and compliance” and said claims of links to sanctioned figures are “unfounded and untrue.”

According to the FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report, Americans unsocial lost astir $21 cardinal to online scams past year, with much than 1 cardinal complaints filed. Cryptocurrency-related fraud accounted for the largest stock of losses, totaling much than $11 cardinal crossed 181,565 complaints.

The Prince Group, a Cambodia-based conglomerate led by Chen Zhi, has been accused by U.S. authorities of operating 1 of the world’s largest online scam networks, allegedly generating tens of billions of dollars annually done fraud schemes tally retired of compounds crossed Southeast Asia.

The U.S. authorities past twelvemonth seized $15 cardinal worthy of Bitcoin from Chen successful what it described arsenic its largest forfeiture enactment against online scammers. The institution has denied wrongdoing. Cambodian authorities arrested and past extradited Chen to China successful January.

The AB network’s firm operation has remained opaque. It describes itself arsenic a decentralized ecosystem comprising an Irish nonprofit, a Cayman Islands foundation, and blockchain-based entities governed by token holders. The OCCRP's reporting identified 2 antecedently undisclosed figures—software developer Sui Chenggang and entrepreneur Lin Xiaofan—as cardinal actors wrong the network.

Lin, who said helium played a starring relation successful the Timor-Leste edifice project, denied immoderate transportation to the Prince Group. He besides said helium introduced Sui to World Liberty executives.

Promotional worldly for the Timor-Leste improvement was removed from AB’s websites aft OCCRP reporters began making inquiries. Lin said the task remains progressive but that AB is nary longer involved, and provided documentation showing the concern was terminated successful November.

Despite distancing itself from the sanctioned individuals, AB continues to promote its concern with World Liberty Financial and its web of governmental advisers. The collaboration has truthful acold produced constricted uptake of World Liberty’s stablecoin connected AB’s blockchain, with a max full supply of astir $3.6 cardinal and conscionable implicit 3,000 holders.

World Liberty Financial did not respond to further requests for comment.

Editor's note: This communicative was updated aft work to determination up discourse astir the partnership.