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FBI seizes web domain behind widespread ‘pig butchering’ crypto scam

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FBI seizes web domain behind widespread ‘pig butchering’ crypto scam


The FBI’s San Diego office. (Photo courtesy FBI San Diego)

As a result of an investigation by the FBI San Diego Field Office, federal authorities have seized and shut down a web domain used to defraud Americans through cryptocurrency investment fraud scams, officials announced Tuesday.

More than 400 San Diegans were among the victims of the Southeast Asia-based criminal enterprise, suffering an estimated cumulative loss of roughly $90 million in the 2024 fiscal year, according to the FBI.

However, federal investigators said they believe that figure to be a fraction of the total scope of losses, given that many victims do not report their losses to law enforcement.

The shuttered web domain, tickmilleas.com, had been used by scammers based at a compound called Tai Chang in the village of Kyaukhat, Myanmar, the FBI reported.

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The seizure of the online site occurred less than three weeks after the announcement of the formation of the Scam Center Strike Force and the seizure of two other domains also used by the same criminals, federal officials said.

According to an affidavit filed in the case, Tai Chang is affiliated with the Burmese armed group Democratic Karen Benevolent Army and Trans Asia International Holding Group Thailand Company Limited.

Both entities were designated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury as “specially designated nationals” on Nov. 12 for their alleged links to Chinese organized crime and development of scam centers in Southeast Asia.

According to federal authorities, the tickmilleas.com domain was disguised as a legitimate investment platform to trick people into depositing funds.

Victims of the scams — a type that fraudsters refer to as “pig butchering” — reported to the FBI that tickmilleas.com showed lucrative supposed returns on what they believed to be their investments and displayed purported deposits made by scammers to the victims’ “accounts.”

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According to the affidavit, tickmilleas.com directed users to download mobile applications from Google Play and Apple’s App Store. The FBI notified those firms of the fraudulent apps, and they have voluntarily removed several of them from their stores.

The Scam Center Strike Force also worked with Meta to identify accounts associated with the Tai Chang compound, the FBI reported. Meta voluntarily removed about 2,000 of them as part of the collaborative effort, officials said.

Among the results of the investigation was the FBI’s discovery that Tai Chang was targeting a San Diegan, whom authorities were able to warn about the scheme before the targeted person lost any money, according to federal authorities.




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San Diego, CA

San Diego shelter hosts adults-only camp, featuring wildlife, wine and puppies

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San Diego shelter hosts adults-only camp, featuring wildlife, wine and puppies


SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Rancho Coastal Humane Society is hosting an adults-only animal camp in February where you can get up close to wildlife, drink wine and play with puppies.

The shelter is a frequent guest on our FOX 5 Morning Show, where they bring in their adorable, adoptable dogs of the week.

The day full of activities takes place Feb. 7, with the option to purchase tickets for each event or a bundle.

The day starts with puppy yoga at 1 p.m., where you get to stretch and relax while rambunctious little puppies run around on your mat.

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If you choose to stick around for the entire day of fun, you can then enjoy a wine glass paint-and-sip class.

Next on the agenda is a wildlife presentation, where you get up close and personal with furry critters and learn more about them from wildlife experts.

You can then end the day with animal trivia at 4 p.m. and a happy hour from 5-6 p.m.

Tickets for the painting class, wildlife presentation and animal trivia are $35 each. The happy hour is $25. You can also choose to buy tickets for all four in a bundle for $100.

Since the puppy yoga is anticipated to be very popular, tickets are limited and have to be purchased on their own for $35 each.

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All of the proceeds from the day go toward benefitting the animals at the shelter.



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MTS to boost trolley service for Wild Horses Music Festival crowds in San Diego

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MTS to boost trolley service for Wild Horses Music Festival crowds in San Diego


Anticipating large crowds for Saturday’s Wild Horses Music Festival, the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System will provide enhanced trolley service before and after the event.

The festival — headlined by Grammy Award-winning Mumford & Sons — will be held at Petco Park and will feature Americana, country and modern folk artists including Lord Huron, Sierra Ferrell and Lily Meola.

“To keep the concert crowds moving smoothly, MTS will increase trolley service before and after the festival to help riders travel safely and conveniently,” officials said in a recent statement.

Regular trolley service will arrive at stations every 15 minutes or better, officials said.

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Post-concert MTS services

According to MTS, post-concert service will include:

— UC San Diego Blue Line: Trolleys departing downtown to San Ysidro every 15 minutes until 12:07 a.m., with four additional trips to UTC until 11:40 p.m.;

— Green Line: Trolleys departing downtown every 15 minutes, with additional trips from Gaslamp Quarter Station until crowds diminish;

— Orange Line: Trolleys departing downtown every 15 minutes after the festival ends until crowds diminish; and

— Copper Line: Trolleys departing every 15 minutes in both directions, with added trips until 12:25 a.m.

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More information is available at https://www.sdmts.com/rider- info/events/wild-horses-festival-featuring-mumford-sons.

MTS also encouraged festivalgoers to avoid costly parking by using free Park & Ride lots throughout the trolley system. Convenient locations include:

–Old Town Transit Center, Green Line and UC San Diego Blue Line North, with over 400 spots, with an overflow parking option across the street at the Caltrans District 11 office (4050 Taylor St.) that features over 300 spots;

–Morena/Linda Vista, Green Line, with 200 spaces and most parking available off Friars Road;

–Grossmont Transit Center, Green Line and Orange Line, with 220 spots; and

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–El Cajon Transit Center, Green Line and Orange Line, with 400-plus spots.

A full parking lot list is at https://www.sdmts.com/transit- services/transit-station-parking.

In a related matter, the MTS customer service office and Transit Store was closed on Christmas Day; all support services will reopen Friday.



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Whether it’s on the O-line or hitting the lanes, San Diego State’s Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli eager to go bowling

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Whether it’s on the O-line or hitting the lanes, San Diego State’s Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli eager to go bowling


The New Mexico Bowl represents a full-circle moment for San Diego State center Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli.

The senior has spent the past five seasons at SDSU. He redshirted as a freshman in 2021, mostly watching as the Aztecs won a school-record 12 games capped with a win over UTSA in the Frisco Bowl. Ulugalu-Maseuli started as a redshirt freshman in 2022 on a team that lost to Middle Tennessee State in the Hawaii Bowl.

Saturday’s bowl game against No. 23 North Texas is a fitting finish to his career.

“I didn’t realize how fast it was going until it’s, like, senior night (against San Jose State), our last game at Snapdragon Stadium,” said Ulugalu-Maseuli, who was born in La Mesa and grew up in Spring Valley. “I’m not looking too far into the past, just waiting for this next game and finish off the season right. …

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“It feels like the team that I came in knowing. It feels right. It feels like the SDSU I knew growing up. So it’s nice to have that feeling again.”

SDSU turned things around with nine victories this season. A win over the Mean Green would give the Aztecs the distinction of being only the 10th team in the program’s 57-year Division I history with double-digit wins.

Ulugalu-Maseuli, selected a team captain before the season, has been right in the middle of it.

A four-year starter who has played both guard positions as well as center, Ulugalu-Maseuli earned first-team all-Mountain West honors this season. He was the glue on a much-improved offensive line.

SDSU went 4-8 and 3-9 the previous two years. The only bowling Ulugalu-Maseuli did was at a bowling alley. He is, in fact, a two-sport standout. Bowling has became more than just a pastime. It’s a passion.

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San Diego State center Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli joined teammates on Christmas Eve for a New Mexico Bowl for some bowling at Main Event Entertainment. (Justin Truong / SDSU Athletics)

Ulugalu-Maseuli and former teammate Rambo Mageo became regulars three years ago at the 12-lane on-campus alley. It’s a great deal for students, who get two free games and pay only $1 for any games thereafter.

The center enjoyed an even better deal on Christmas Eve after the Aztecs landed Wednesday afternoon in Albuquerque, N.M., ahead of the bowl game. The players and coaches were treated to dinner and activities — including arcade games, laser tag and bowling — at Main Event Entertainment.

“When football’s not too crazy, I might bowl five or six games in one day,” said Ulugalu-Maseuli, whose competitiveness on the football field follows him into the bowling alley.

Soon enough, it wasn’t enough to throw the house balls provided behind each lane. Ulugalu-Maseuli got a couple of custom-made bowling balls — one ball for strikes and another for picking up spares — and had his own shoes, a bowling bag on wheels and a special towel to rub the lane oil off his ball.

At 6-foot-4 and 335 pounds, Ulugalu-Maseuli is a massive presence when he steps to the line. Bowling requires more than just power, though. Precision is necessary to pick up spares. Knowledge is needed to adjust your game to lanes that could be oily, dry or somewhere in between.

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Ulugalu-Maseuli said he averages 215, which is elite. Only 10-15% of league bowlers average 200 or more. Members of the general public are fortunate to break 150.

Even more impressive: Ulugalu-Maseuli has bowled a pair of perfect games, rolling 12 straight strikes to reach 300. How much pressure did he feel stepping to the line for that final throw?

“I mean, you can’t feel more pressure than in the fourth quarter with 20 seconds left (for a game-winning drive),” Ulugalu-Maseuli said. “Pressure doesn’t affect me too much. You work best when you’re under pressure. At least I do. It’s something that I had to deal with and something that, you know, it just comes.”

SDSU offensive lineman Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli poses for a photo during Wednesday's Mountain West media day in Las Vegas. (Justin Truong, SDSU athletics)
SDSU offensive lineman Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli poses for a photo during Wednesday’s Mountain West media day in Las Vegas. (Justin Truong, SDSU athletics)

As a true freshman in 2021, Ulugalu-Maseuli was on the scout team. He had to look across the line at guys like Keshawn Banks, Jonah Tavai and Cameron Thomas, players who were all-conference talents as well as pro prospects.

“They made me the player I am today,” Ulugalu-Maseuli said. “You never realize how valuable (the) scout team is until they’re gone, and you’re up next, and you’re going up against players who aren’t the same as they were.”

Life in the trenches has taken its toll on Ulugalu-Maseuli, who has had three knee surgeries during his college career. His coaches and teammates helped him push through the pain to stay on the field. His 40 career starts for the Aztecs are more than any other player on the team.

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San Diego State quarterback Jayden Denegal (4) and center Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli (63) celebrate after a touchdown against the Boise State Broncos during their game at Snapdragon Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
San Diego State quarterback Jayden Denegal (4) and center Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli (63) celebrate after a touchdown against the Boise State Broncos during their game at Snapdragon Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

“The love that the coaches always showed me, the players, everybody was always reaching out to me,” Ulugalu-Maseuli said. “And it’s just, like, I knew I wasn’t in it alone. But I also knew I had to push hard to get back in time for the next season. That’s all it was. I just love ball.”

Ulugalu-Maseuli, like all of his teammates, hopes to have an opportunity at the next level. Regardless, the memories and relationships acquired the past five years will last a lifetime.

“I have a whole bunch of guys that are like my brothers now,” he said. “There are guys that have left that I still talk to every day. Jonah Tavai is one of those guys. I’m on the phone with him every day, every week, and it’s just like, you know, the bonds and relationships that I’ve built here. Even outside of football, there’s relationships that are set in place. It’s just nice having the brotherhood that SDSU builds, and that’s what I love most about it.”


New Mexico Bowl: San Diego State (9-3) vs. No. 23 North Texas (11-2)

When: 2:45 p.m. Saturday

Where: University Stadium, Albuquerque

TV: ESPN

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Radio: 760-AM

 



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