The United Kingdom and the United States established a joint alliance to combat cryptocurrency fraud

The United States and the United Kingdom announced the establishment of the first joint law enforcement alliance aimed at combating fraud centers involving cryptocurrency and online investment scams. The U.S. Department of Justice stated that the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, the UK Crown Prosecution Service, and the UK's National Crime Agency have signed a memorandum of understanding to conduct parallel investigations on common objectives, share intelligence on organized crime groups, and negotiate jurisdictional prosecution rights for specific cases.

This alliance expands upon the "Fraud Center Task Force" initiated by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro in November 2025, focusing on Chinese organized crime networks primarily located in Southeast Asia that are involved in cryptocurrency investment scams, which are often linked to human trafficking and money laundering. The task force includes the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, IRS Criminal Investigation Division, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Department of Justice, and collaborates with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the State Department, and private enterprises to dismantle fraud operations and recover victims' funds.

The U.S. Department of Justice pointed out that losses reported due to cryptocurrency investment scams in the U.S. continue to rise, with losses reported to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center increasing from $4.57 billion in 2023 to $8.65 billion in 2025. Previously, international law enforcement agencies had conducted joint operations, with a raid led by Dubai police on April 29, involving the FBI and the Chinese Ministry of Public Security, resulting in the arrest of 276 individuals and the closure of at least 9 cryptocurrency scam centers. Several Southeast Asian countries are also strengthening domestic legislation, with Myanmar's military government releasing a draft on May 15 proposing a 10-year to life imprisonment for digital currency fraud, and the death penalty if a victim dies due to being coerced to work at a scam center; this bill was passed by parliament on July 28.