US, UK launch joint alliance targeting crypto scam centers
Reported by Cointelegraph · AI-assisted summary by ChikoCorp AI News Desk
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Summary
The United States and United Kingdom have created a joint law enforcement alliance to combat crypto and cyber-enabled investment fraud. The US Department of Justice, the Crown Prosecution Service of England and Wales, and the UK National Crime Agency signed a memorandum of understanding to enable parallel investigations, information sharing, and coordinated prosecutions. The agreement is described by the DOJ as the first international cooperation specifically aimed at disabling crypto scam centers.
Why it matters
The alliance aims to curb rising losses from crypto investment fraud, which the DOJ reports have increased significantly, with FBI-reported losses rising 89% to $8.65 billion in 2025 from $4.57 billion in 2023. The partnership also facilitates multinational operations against organized crime syndicates, potentially improving victim fund recovery and disrupting large-scale scams affecting multiple jurisdictions.
Key context
This pact expands the US Scam Center Strike Force, established in 2025 to target Chinese organized crime networks operating crypto scam centers, often linked to human trafficking and money laundering. The task force collaborates with multiple US agencies, foreign partners, and private companies. Previous international efforts include a Dubai-led raid in April 2025 involving the FBI and Chinese authorities resulting in arrests and seizures of scam operations. Southeast Asian governments have also strengthened laws against crypto fraud, with Myanmar recently approving harsher penalties for related crimes.
Key numbers and entities
The alliance involves the US Department of Justice, US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Crown Prosecution Service of England and Wales, UK National Crime Agency, FBI, US Secret Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and other US agencies. Losses reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center rose from $4.57 billion in 2023 to $8.65 billion in 2025. A Dubai police operation led to 276 arrests and at least nine crypto scam centers closed in April 2025.
What remains unclear
The source does not provide details on how prosecution jurisdictions will be finalized, the identities of specific scam targets, outcomes of the planned October disruption operation, or long-term metrics for measuring the alliance’s effectiveness. The status of Myanmar’s bill receiving presidential assent is also not confirmed.