US and UK Launch Joint Alliance to Dismantle Crypto Scam Centers

The United States and United Kingdom have formed a joint law enforcement alliance to dismantle crypto and cyber-enabled investment fraud operations. 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 first-of-its-kind memorandum of understanding. Under the agreement, the agencies will conduct parallel investigations into common targets, share intelligence on organized crime syndicates, and coordinate on which jurisdictions should prosecute specific cases. A private-sector disruption operation is already scheduled for London in early October.

The pact expands the Scam Center Strike Force, which US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro launched in November 2025 to target Chinese organized crime networks operating scam compounds primarily in Southeast Asia. The task force brings together the FBI, US Secret Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and Justice Department offices, alongside the US Treasury and State Department. These schemes typically combine crypto investment fraud with human trafficking and money laundering, according to the DOJ.

The need for cross-border cooperation is underscored by rapidly escalating losses. The DOJ reported that US crypto investment fraud complaints filed with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center rose 89% to $8.65 billion in 2025, up from $4.57 billion in 2023. International raids have already produced results: on April 29, the DOJ disclosed a Dubai police-led operation involving the FBI and China's Ministry of Public Security that resulted in 276 arrests and the shutdown of at least nine crypto scam centers, with six people charged over schemes using fake crypto investment platforms.

Governments across Southeast Asia are also tightening domestic frameworks. On May 15, Myanmar's military government released draft legislation proposing sentences of up to life imprisonment for those operating scam compounds, signaling that regional authorities are increasingly aligning with global enforcement efforts to curb the growing threat.