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Back|US and UK Form Joint Law Enforcement Alliance Against Crypto Scam Centers
US and UK Form Joint Law Enforcement Alliance Against Crypto Scam Centers
Developing
Cointelegraph·2 hours ago·Crime·2 min read

US and UK Form Joint Law Enforcement Alliance Against Crypto Scam Centers

Quick Look

  • The United States and United Kingdom have formed a joint law enforcement alliance targeting scam centers involved in crypto and cyber-enabled investment fraud.
  • The agreement, 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, enables parallel investigations, information sharing, and coordinated prosecutions.
  • It expands the Scam Center Strike Force launched in November 2025 and builds on prior international operations, including a Dubai-led raid that resulted in 276 arrests.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

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.

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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 had 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% to $8.65 billion in 2025 from $4.57 billion in 2023, 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 Department and private companies to disrupt scam operations and recover victims’ funds.

Related: Chinese newspaper warns of Bitcoin extortion scam using its name

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.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

  • The joint US-UK task force will conduct an in-person disruption operation with private-sector partners in London in early October 2026.

    Very likely · Within weeks

  • Myanmar’s presidential assent to the digital currency fraud legislation will be confirmed in the near future.

    Likely · Within weeks

Open Questions

  • ?What specific scam centers will be targeted in the planned October disruption operation in London?
  • ?How will the recovered funds be distributed to victims?
  • ?What legal mechanisms will determine jurisdiction for prosecution in overlapping cases?
  • ?Are private-sector partners in the operation primarily blockchain analysis firms or financial institutions?

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Topics
This article was originally published by Cointelegraph.

Quick Look

  • The United States and United Kingdom have formed a joint law enforcement alliance targeting scam centers involved in crypto and cyber-enabled investment fraud.
  • The agreement, 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, enables parallel investigations, information sharing, and coordinated prosecutions.
  • It expands the Scam Center Strike Force launched in November 2025 and builds on prior international operations, including a Dubai-led raid that resulted in 276 arrests.

AI-generated summary

Story signals

News tone
Sensitive
Emotional intensity
High
News value
High
Global impact
Global
Urgency
Developing
Follow-up likelihood
Likely
Relevance window
Weeks

Source & Reliability

Source
Cointelegraph
Story type
Hard news
Source quality
Full
Published
2 hours ago
Last updated
2 hours ago
united states
united kingdom
crypto fraud
united states
Jeanine Ferris Pirro
US Department of Justice
US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia
Crown Prosecution Service of England and Wales
UK National Crime Agency
United States
United Kingdom
District of Columbia
England and Wales
united kingdom
crypto fraud
scam centers
law enforcement
international cooperation
investment fraud

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