US and UK launch joint crypto scam crackdown

• The US and UK signed an agreement targeting crypto scam centres and cyber-enabled investment fraud.
• Authorities will coordinate investigations, share intelligence and determine where cases should be prosecuted.
• The two countries plan a private-sector disruption operation in London in early October.

The United States and United Kingdom have formed a joint law enforcement alliance targeting scam centres involved in crypto and cyber-enabled investment fraud.

The agreement covers parallel investigations, information sharing and coordination over which jurisdiction should prosecute specific cases.

The US Department of Justice described the memorandum as the “first-of-its-kind” international cooperation agreement targeting such scam centres.

Authorities have already identified overlapping cases and plan an in-person disruption operation with private-sector partners in London in early October.

Reported US losses from crypto investment fraud rose 89% from US$4.57 billion in 2023 to US$8.65 billion in 2025, according to the Department of Justice.

The agreement expands the Scam Center Strike Force, launched in November 2025 to target organised crime networks operating scam centres primarily in Southeast Asia.

The US and UK are among several governments pursuing cross-border action against scam operations linked to crypto fraud, human trafficking and money laundering.