US and UK Form First‑of‑Its‑Kind Alliance Against Crypto Scams

The United States and United Kingdom have signed a joint enforcement agreement to combat transnational cryptocurrency scam operations that cost Americans nearly $10 billion each year.

Joint Framework and Participating Agencies

On September 3, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Crown Prosecution Service of England and Wales, and the U.K. National Crime Agency signed the agreement. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Crown Prosecutor Stephen Parkinson, and NCA Director General Graeme Biggar represented their agencies.

Operational Priorities

• Parallel investigations of shared targets.
• Exchange of intelligence on organized‑crime syndicates.
• Coordinated decisions on jurisdiction and case prioritization.

Broader International Support

Britain secured Five‑Eyes backing on August 27 to accelerate intelligence sharing and to disrupt accounts, communication channels, and financial services used by international scam networks.

Background on Scam Centers

The U.S. Scam Center Strike Force, launched in November 2025, focuses on Chinese‑linked criminal groups operating compounds in Southeast Asia. The force combines prosecutors, the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, and other agencies to target fraud, money laundering, digital‑infrastructure abuse, and cryptocurrency‑related crimes.

Scale of Losses

FBI data for 2025 show $20.88 billion in reported internet‑crime losses, with $11.37 billion linked to cryptocurrency. Investment fraud accounted for $8.65 billion, and cryptocurrency investment fraud alone represented roughly $7.2 billion.

Enforcement Actions and Seizures

• More than $700 million in cryptocurrency restrained by April 2026.
• State Department offered up to $10 million for tips leading to disruption of Burma’s Tai Chang scam centers.
• Forfeiture case targeting approximately 127,271 BTC (about $15 billion) against Cambodian businessman Chen Zhi.
• Public‑private disruption in May halted over 1.4 million scam‑linked accounts and froze $3.8 million in crypto.

Upcoming Joint Disruption Event

U.S. and U.K. authorities will partner with private‑sector firms for a National Crime Agency‑hosted disruption event in London in early October.