US and UK launch first joint task force to target crypto scam centers

The United States and the United Kingdom have created their first joint law-enforcement alliance to target scam centers involved in crypto and online investment fraud, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The DOJ said the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Crown Prosecution Service and the UK’s National Crime Agency signed a memorandum of understanding. Under the agreement, the three agencies will conduct parallel investigations, share intelligence on organized crime groups and coordinate decisions on which jurisdiction should prosecute specific cases. The alliance expands a scam-center task force launched by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro in November 2025. That task force focuses on Chinese organized crime networks based mainly in Southeast Asia and linked to crypto investment scams. The DOJ said those operations are often tied to human trafficking and money laundering. The task force includes the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations and DOJ offices. It also works with the U.S. Treasury Department, the State Department and private companies to disrupt scam operations and recover victim funds. The DOJ said reported losses from crypto investment fraud in the United States have continued to climb. Complaints filed with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center rose from $4.57 billion in 2023 to $8.65 billion in 2025. The announcement comes after earlier cross-border enforcement actions. On April 29, a raid led by Dubai Police, with the FBI and China’s Ministry of Public Security involved, resulted in 276 arrests and the shutdown of at least nine crypto scam centers. Several Southeast Asian governments have also moved to tighten domestic rules. Myanmar’s military government issued a draft on May 15 that would impose prison terms ranging from 10 years to life for digital-currency fraud. If a victim dies while being forced to work in a scam center, the draft allows for the death penalty. The bill passed parliament on July 28.