• Zheng Zhao was extradited from the Netherlands to face charges over an alleged cryptocurrency investment conspiracy targeting US citizens.
• Investigators identified 174 US victims and traced more than $36.9 million through accounts linked to co-conspirators.
• Prosecutors allege the network converted stolen funds into Tether (USDT) and moved them to wallets in Cambodia.

Zheng Zhao, 44, appeared in a California federal court on 23 October after extradition from the Netherlands over his alleged role in the scheme.

The alleged operation used unsolicited messages, calls and dating platforms to lure victims into fake cryptocurrency investment websites.

“This extradition should be a lesson to all those who seek to exploit vulnerable Americans from…