Federal prosecutors and law enforcement from the United States and United Kingdom have formed an unprecedented enforcement alliance targeting transnational cryptocurrency scam networks. The agreement, signed on September 3, joins the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia with the Crown Prosecution Service of England and Wales and the U.K. National Crime Agency.
Under the framework, participating agencies will conduct parallel investigations into shared targets, exchange intelligence about organized crime syndicates, and coordinate case prosecution decisions. The initiative represents a significant expansion of cross-border cooperation in combating crypto-enabled fraud.
Scale of the Problem
Cryptocurrency investment fraud represents the largest category of reported financial losses to Americans. In 2025, cryptocurrency-related internet crime losses totaled $11.37 billion of the $20.88 billion in overall reported internet crime losses, with cryptocurrency investment fraud alone accounting for approximately $7.2 billion.
Scam operations typically employ tactics known as pig butchering, using unsolicited messages, social media, dating applications, and fraudulent investment platforms to cultivate trust before directing victims to transfer cryptocurrency. Many compounds operate using trafficked workers held under coercive conditions.
Enforcement Actions and Financial Disruption
Financial disruption has emerged as a central tactic in the campaign against scam centers. By April, federal authorities had restrained more than $700 million in cryptocurrency allegedly connected to scam-center money laundering operations. A separate enforcement action sought forfeiture of approximately 127,271 BTC, valued at roughly $15 billion.
In May, a joint private-sector disruption campaign resulted in more than 1.4 million scam-linked accounts being interrupted, with authorities helping freeze more than $3.8 million in cryptocurrency. U.S. and U.K. authorities plan to join private industry partners for a disruption event in London in early October.
Broader Context
The alliance follows an executive order directing federal agencies to develop stronger responses to foreign scam centers. The U.S. Scam Center Strike Force, which began operations in November 2025, focuses on Chinese transnational criminal organizations running compounds primarily in Southeast Asia, specifically Cambodia, Laos, and Burma.
