A new US-UK alliance is formed to disrupt crypto scam centers, anchored by a memorandum of understanding among the U.S. Department of Justice, the District of Columbia U.S. Attorney’s Office, England and Wales’ Crown Prosecution Service, and the UK National Crime Agency to strengthen cross-border investigations and coordinate prosecutions.

The agreement expands the Scam Center Strike Force, which was established in late 2025 to target Chinese-led criminal networks running fraudulent schemes in Southeast Asia, with multiple U.S. federal agencies involved and international support.

Past and ongoing international actions are cited, including a Dubai operation in late April that involved the FBI and China’s Ministry of Public Security, resulting in hundreds of arrests and the closure of several crypto scam centers.

Victims are urged to report fraud to the FBI’s IC3 and to preserve evidence such as transaction records, messages, and websites for investigation.

Common scam methods include pig-butchering schemes via unsolicited messages and fake investment platforms, often using coerced workers, with warning signs like guaranteed returns, unsolicited offers, copied websites, and requests for passwords.

Authorities emphasize that these scams frequently intertwine with human trafficking and money laundering, underscoring the cross-border and severe nature of the threat.

Reports note scammers’ use of fake profiles and AI-generated videos, with scam centers operant in Southeast Asia.

Earlier enforcement actions disrupted millions of social media and email accounts and froze cryptocurrency tied to laundering, signaling a track record of aggressive disruption.

Southeast Asian nations, including Myanmar, are tightening penalties for digital currency fraud, with discussions of severe penalties and even life imprisonment or death in extreme cases.

Myanmar’s recent legislative steps and regional enforcement illustrate intensified regional coordination against digital currency fraud.

Parliamentary and regulatory moves in the region, including bills approved in mid-year, reflect a broader crackdown on scam networks.

The drive to dismantle scam centers is rooted in actions dating back to a presidential directive and an executive order aimed at identifying criminal networks and proposing disruption measures.