US and UK Unite Against Chinese-Linked Scam Centers
A joint crackdown on Chinese-linked scam centers was launched by US and British law enforcement leaders at a signing ceremony in Washington. The agreement, signed by US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, Crown Prosecution Service Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson, and National Crime Agency Director General Graeme Biggar, establishes international cooperation against cryptocurrency and cyber-enabled investment fraud.
The estimated annual losses to the public from scam-center schemes are around $10 billion. In 2023-2025, reported cryptocurrency investment-fraud losses rose by 89%, reaching $8.65 billion, according to FBI data cited by prosecutors. The alliance will conduct parallel investigations, share information, and coordinate prosecutions.
The partnership has already led to the identification of significant overlap among existing cases, with joint decisions made on which country is best positioned to prosecute shared targets. A planned disruption event in London in early October will bring investigators together with private companies for an in-person operation against scam centers.