TLDR
- The US and UK have signed a first-of-its-kind memorandum of understanding to jointly fight crypto investment fraud
- The deal links the US Attorney’s Office, UK Crown Prosecution Service, and UK National Crime Agency
- Reported US losses from crypto investment fraud hit $8.65 billion in 2025, up 89% from 2023
- An in-person disruption operation with private-sector partners is planned in London in October
- The alliance expands the Scam Center Strike Force, launched in November 2025 to target crime networks in Southeast Asia
The US and UK have signed a joint law enforcement agreement to go after scam centers that use crypto and cyber-enabled investment fraud.
BREAKING: US AND UK JOIN FORCES AGAINST CRYPTO SCAM CENTERS
The US and UK have launched a joint effort targeting global scam centers involved in crypto fraud and cyber-enabled investment scams.
Authorities will share intelligence and coordinate investigations. The DOJ says US… pic.twitter.com/7eAR3xApBi
— AMk.Crypto 🧢 (@leeky_k_crypt) September 4, 2026
The memorandum of understanding was announced Thursday by the US Department of Justice. It brings together 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 called it the “first-of-its-kind” international cooperation agreement of its type.
What the Agreement Covers
Under the deal, agencies will run parallel investigations into shared targets. They will also exchange information on organized crime networks and decide together which country should prosecute each case.
Officials said they have already found overlapping cases. A joint in-person disruption event with private-sector partners is scheduled in London in early October.
The agreement builds on the Scam Center Strike Force, which was launched in November 2025 by US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. That task force targets Chinese organized crime networks running scam compounds, mostly in Southeast Asia.
The strike force includes the FBI, the US Secret Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. It also works with the US Treasury, the State Department, and private companies.
Losses Are Rising
According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, reported losses from crypto investment fraud reached $8.65 billion in 2025. That is up 89% from $4.57 billion in 2023.
Authorities say actual losses are likely much higher because many victims never come forward.
These scam operations are often linked to human trafficking and money laundering, according to the DOJ.
International authorities have already taken action on similar fronts. On April 29, Dubai police led a joint operation with the FBI and China’s Ministry of Public Security. That raid led to 276 arrests and shut down at least nine crypto scam centers.
Six people were charged over schemes that used fake crypto investment platforms to collect deposits from victims.
In Southeast Asia, governments have pushed for tougher laws. Myanmar’s military government proposed legislation in May that would carry sentences from 10 years to life in prison for digital currency fraud. The death penalty could apply when workers were killed.
Myanmar’s parliament passed the bill on July 28, though it had not received presidential assent at the time.
The new US-UK alliance marks a fresh phase in international efforts to disrupt crypto fraud networks operating across borders.
