US and UK form first joint alliance to fight crypto scam centers
Washington and London sign historic pact
The United States and the United Kingdom have launched a new joint law enforcement alliance to target criminal organizations running crypto and cyber-enabled investment scam centers.
The US Department of Justice announced the deal on Thursday. It is the first international cooperation agreement of its kind designed to dismantle these global fraud hubs.
Under the plan, agencies will share information on organized crime syndicates and conduct parallel investigations into shared targets. Authorities are also deciding together which country should prosecute specific cases.
October operation planned in London
Officials say they have already found overlapping cases between the two nations. As a result, they plan to hold an in-person disruption operation in London in early October.
The operation will include private-sector partners who help track and freeze illicit funds.
Fraud losses surge in the US
The push for stronger cooperation comes as reported losses from crypto investment fraud continue to climb in the United States. According to the DOJ, losses reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center rose 89% to $8.65 billion in 2025. That is a sharp increase from $4.57 billion in 2023.
Building on earlier crackdowns
The new agreement expands the Scam Center Strike Force, which US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro launched in November 2025. That task force targets Chinese organized crime networks operating scam centers, mostly in Southeast Asia. Their schemes often involve crypto fraud, human trafficking, and money laundering.
The task force includes the FBI, US Secret Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and various Justice Department offices. It also works with the US Treasury and State Department.
International coordination has already led to major actions. In late April, a Dubai police-led operation involving the FBI and China’s Ministry of Public Security resulted in 276 arrests and the closure of at least nine crypto scam centers. Separately, Myanmar has moved toward passing stricter laws that could impose life sentences or even the death penalty for those involved in digital currency fraud when victims are killed.
What is confirmed
- The US and UK signed a memorandum of understanding between 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 DOJ calls this the first-of-its-kind agreement focused on disabling crypto scam centers.
- An in-person disruption operation is planned with private-sector partners in London in early October.
- FBI data shows US losses from crypto investment fraud rose to $8.65 billion in 2025 from $4.57 billion in 2023.
What happens next
Authorities plan to carry out the joint disruption operation in London during October. More details on specific targets or arrests have not been released.
