US, UK launch joint alliance targeting crypto scam centers

The United States and United Kingdom have formed a joint law enforcement alliance targeting scam centers involved in crypto and cyber-enabled investment fraud. 

On Thursday, the US Department of Justice announced that the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Crown Prosecution Service of England and Wales and the UK National Crime Agency signed a memorandum of understanding. The DOJ described it as the “first-of-its-kind” international cooperation agreement aimed at disabling such scam centers.

Under the agreement, the agencies will conduct parallel investigations into common targets, share information on organized crime syndicates and discuss which jurisdictions should prosecute specific cases. The DOJ said the authorities have already identified overlapping cases and plan an in-person disruption operation with private-sector partners in London in early October.

The cross-border pact comes as reported US losses from crypto investment fraud continue to climb. Losses reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center rose 89% from $4.57 billion in 2023 to $8.65 billion in 2025, according to the DOJ. 

International efforts target crypto scam compounds

The agreement expands the Scam Center Strike Force, which US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro launched in November 2025 to target Chinese organized crime networks operating scam centers primarily in Southeast Asia. Their schemes include crypto investment fraud and are often linked to human trafficking and money laundering, according to the DOJ. 

The task force includes the FBI, US Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations and Justice Department offices. It also works with the US Treasury and State departments and private companies to disrupt scam operations and recover victims’ funds.

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International authorities have coordinated raids against similar operations. On April 29, the DOJ reported a Dubai police-led operation involving the FBI and China’s Ministry of Public Security, which resulted in 276 arrests and the closure of at least nine crypto scam centers. Six people were charged over schemes that allegedly used fake crypto investment platforms to solicit deposits from victims. 

Governments in Southeast Asia have also pursued tougher domestic measures. On May 15, Myanmar’s military government had released draft legislation proposing sentences ranging from 10 years to life in prison for digital currency fraud, with the death penalty possible when people coerced into working at scam centers were killed. 

On July 28, Parliament approved the bill, though presidential assent had not been confirmed.

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