Key facts
- The US and UK have formed a joint law enforcement alliance targeting crypto scam centers.
- The agreement includes parallel investigations and information sharing between US and UK authorities.
- A private-sector disruption operation is planned for London in early October.
- US losses from crypto investment fraud reported to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center increased by 89% between 2023 and 2025.
- The alliance expands the US Scam Center Strike Force, which targets Chinese organized crime networks.
The United States and the United Kingdom have established a new joint law enforcement alliance aimed at dismantling cryptocurrency scam centers and combating cyber-enabled investment fraud. This initiative, described by the US Department of Justice as a "first-of-its-kind" international cooperation agreement, was formalized through a memorandum of understanding signed by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Crown Prosecution Service of England and Wales, and the UK National Crime Agency.
The alliance will enable parallel investigations into common targets, facilitate the sharing of information regarding organized crime syndicates involved in these scams, and allow for discussions on which jurisdictions should prosecute specific cases. Authorities have already identified overlapping cases and are preparing for an in-person disruption operation with private-sector partners in London scheduled for early October.
This cross-border pact arrives as reported losses from crypto investment fraud in the US continue to escalate. According to the DOJ, losses reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center surged by 89%, from $4.57 billion in 2023 to $8.65 billion in 2025.
The new agreement also serves to expand the Scam Center Strike Force, an initiative launched in November 2025 by US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. This task force specifically targets Chinese organized crime networks that operate scam centers, predominantly located in Southeast Asia. These operations frequently involve crypto investment fraud and are often associated with human trafficking and money laundering activities.
Previous international efforts have seen coordinated raids against similar operations. In late April, a Dubai police-led operation, involving the FBI and China’s Ministry of Public Security, led to 276 arrests and the closure of at least nine crypto scam centers. Six individuals were charged in connection with schemes allegedly using fraudulent crypto investment platforms to solicit funds from victims.
Governments in Southeast Asia are also implementing stricter domestic measures. In mid-May, Myanmar’s military government introduced draft legislation proposing sentences ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment for digital currency fraud, with the possibility of the death penalty if individuals coerced into working at scam centers were harmed or killed. The Parliament approved the bill on July 28, though presidential assent was pending.