Crypto Scam Alliance
US and UK Form Joint Alliance to Disrupt Transnational Crypto Scam Compounds
Anonymous
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U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said the alliance is aimed at disabling “Chinese TOC networks” operating “scam compounds,” describing the schemes as using “human-trafficked labor” to increase profits—calling the partners “invincible.”
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The MOU was signed by specific UK officials alongside Pirro: Crown Prosecutor for England and Wales Stephen Parkinson and National Crime Agency Director General Graeme Biggar, at an event hosted at the residence of Sir Christian Turner KCMG, the U.K. ambassador to the United States.
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The reporting puts the broader impact of these schemes at “approximately $10 billion in losses per year” for Americans, framing the new cooperation as a response to a much larger annual harm than the FBI’s crypto-specific complaint totals alone.
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Beyond law-enforcement agencies and prosecutors, the effort also involves the U.S. Treasury and State departments and works with private companies to “recover victims’ funds,” not just to disrupt operations.
The United States and United Kingdom have signed a groundbreaking agreement to jointly dismantle crypto scam networks that steal billions of dollars from victims each year. Crypto Economy reports the memorandum of understanding creates a first-of-its-kind law-enforcement alliance combining prosecutors, investigators, and intelligence agencies from both nations to run parallel investigations and coordinate prosecutions across borders.
The partnership targets organized crime syndicates—many linked to Chinese networks—that operate from fortified "scam compounds" using human trafficking and money laundering schemes. The Record notes Americans lost approximately $10 billion annually to investment and romance fraud, with reported crypto investment fraud losses jumping 89 percent between 2023 and 2025.
Unprecedented US-UK Law Enforcement Partnership
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro called the alliance "invincible" and aimed at disabling "Chinese TOC networks" running scam compounds. Technadu explains the agreement was signed by Pirro alongside UK Crown Prosecutor Stephen Parkinson and National Crime Agency Director General Graeme Biggar at the residence of the UK ambassador to the United States.
The memorandum brings together the FBI, Secret Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. It expands the U.S. Scam Center Strike Force, created in November 2025, and includes the Treasury and State departments working with private companies to recover victims' funds.
How the Alliance Will Attack Scam Networks
Dig Watch reports prosecutors and investigators will conduct parallel investigations and exchange intelligence on transnational organized crime syndicates. The partners will coordinate which jurisdiction prosecutes overlapping cases, eliminating gaps that scammers exploit. Authorities plan an in-person disruption operation in London in early October involving private-sector partners.
The scheme targets compounds where criminal networks operate investment fraud, romance scams, and cyber-enabled theft. Human trafficking is central to these operations—trafficked workers increase profits while victims' funds flow through money laundering networks across continents.
Scale of Crypto and Investment Fraud Losses
Losses from crypto investment fraud alone jumped 89 percent from 2023 to 2025, according to The Record, but the actual damage is far larger. Authorities estimate Americans lose approximately $10 billion each year to investment and romance fraud schemes run from these scam centers.
Many fraud victims never report the crime due to shame or fear. This means unreported losses likely exceed official government estimates, underscoring why US and UK leaders view this transnational alliance as urgent and necessary to protect citizens on both sides of the Atlantic.
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