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US and UK authorities have formed a new cross-border enforcement partnership targeting scam centers behind cryptocurrency investment fraud, human trafficking and money laundering.
The September 3 agreement links the US Scam Center Strike Force with the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service and National Crime Agency. The three agencies will coordinate investigations, exchange intelligence and determine which jurisdiction is best placed to prosecute shared targets.
Agencies Will Run Parallel Investigations Into Shared Targets
The memorandum of understanding allows US and UK teams to pursue the same organized crime networks through parallel investigations rather than handling overlapping cases separately.
Authorities can share information on suspected criminal groups, coordinate prosecution strategy and prioritize cases where both countries have an interest.
The agreement does not create a new regulator or court and does not itself impose sanctions or criminal charges. Officials said they have already identified cases where their investigations overlap.
First Coordinated Disruption Operation Planned for Early October in London
The first coordinated disruption event under the partnership is planned for early October in London and will be hosted by the National Crime Agency. Private-sector companies will participate alongside investigators and prosecutors, although the agencies have not identified the companies or criminal networks involved.
The US strike force already works with crypto and technology companies because scam networks use exchanges, stablecoins, social media, telecommunications, and payment infrastructure to contact victims and move stolen funds.
US Crypto Investment Fraud Losses Reached $8.65B in 2025
The partnership is focused heavily on scam compounds linked to transnational criminal networks in Southeast Asia, including operations investigated in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos.
Reported US losses from cyber-enabled investment fraud reached $8.65 billion in 2025, up from $4.57 billion in 2023. Cyber-enabled fraud accounted for almost 85% of losses reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center last year.
The US Scam Center Strike Force had already frozen or seized more than $580 million in crypto linked to these networks by February. The early-October London operation will be the first coordinated disruption event carried out under the new US-UK partnership.
