His portfolio included high-end hotels, ambitious property developments, and a collection of London estates reportedly worth over $130 million. To the public, Chen was a symbol of modern Asian entrepreneurship and a man who built billions through luxury and innovation.

But that narrative has collapsed.

In October 2025, the United States and the United Kingdom jointly launched one of the largest cybercrime crackdowns in history, accusing Chen and his associates of running a transnational criminal network that profited from human trafficking, online scams, and crypto fraud.

More than 146 individuals and companies were sanctioned, and assets worth billions, including real estate and digital currencies , were frozen. Investigators traced the flow of money from fake job ads, romance scams, and crypto schemes back to Chen’s network in Cambodia and beyond.

Authorities allege that behind the façade of luxury developments and high-finance operations lies a vast web of “scam compounds” across Southeast Asia. Trafficked workers from across the region were forced to run online fraud under threats of violence, generating billions of dollars in illicit profits.