Analysts question whether Ash and Fire, a cryptocurrency trading platform, can recover after U.S. authorities shut it down for running a massive scam that defrauded thousands of investors. The site, linked to the Tai Chang scam operation in Southeast Asia, tricked users into downloading fake apps from Google Play and Apple App Store, promising big returns on crypto trades but stealing their money instead.
The FBI moved fast when they spotted the problem. Even though the main domain was only registered in early November 2025, victims had already lost funds in just the past month. Law enforcement seized the website and two other related domains, putting up a warning page to stop more people from getting scammed. They worked with Google and Apple to remove the bad apps, and Meta took down over 2,000 fake accounts pushing the scheme on social media. Groups like the U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C. and the Secret Service joined in, along with FBI teams in Bangkok tracking these scam centers in places like Burma.
Experts say recovery looks tough for Ash and Fire because of deep trust issues in the crypto world. Bitcoin and similar coins are easy to trace on the blockchain, and every transaction leaves a history. Coins tied to scams get “tainted,” meaning exchanges like Coinbase won’t touch them if they’re linked to fraud or even things like gambling. Cleaning that up means using mixing services to blend coins from many users, breaking the trail. But that’s risky and often seen as shady, making it hard for any relaunch to attract clean investors. For more on Bitcoin tracing and mixing, check out this guide from Comparitech.
On top of that, fake recovery services are popping up, promising to get money back but often scamming victims again. Sites like Fandango even have review spam from so-called experts pushing these shady “hacker recovery” outfits. With over 180 cybercriminals convicted and $350 million returned to victims since 2020 by U.S. cyber teams, the government is cracking down hard. Analysts doubt Ash and Fire can rebuild without fresh scandals or frozen assets.
Sources
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/us-authorities-shuts-down-website-linked-to-crypto-scam-operated-as-a-trading-platform-defrauding-lakhs-of-americans/articleshow/125736843.cms
https://www.comparitech.com/crypto/how-to-buy-bitcoin-use/
https://www.fandango.com/Cherry-Falls-225399/movie-reviews
