US, UK sign MOU to tackle global scam centres
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The partnership responds to losses that US authorities estimate at approximately USD 10 billion a year from scam centre operations, many of which are based in Southeast Asia and linked to Chinese organised crime networks that reportedly rely on human-trafficked labour. Data cited from the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) shows that cyber-enabled fraud accounted for close to 85% of all losses reported to IC3 in 2025. Within that category, losses from cyber-enabled investment fraud rose from USD 4.57 billion in 2023 to USD 8.65 billion in 2025, an increase of 89%. The announcement notes that these figures likely understate actual losses, since a large share of victims do not report incidents to IC3.
Background and next steps
The Scam Center Strike Force was established by the US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia in November 2025 to address scam centre activity linked to Chinese organised crime syndicates. Its remit covers cryptocurrency investment fraud, cyber-enabled fraud, human trafficking, and money laundering. On 6 March 2026, an Executive Order directed federal authorities to prioritise action against cybercrime and fraud schemes affecting US households, a mandate the Strike Force is intended to help carry out.
The Strike Force includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the US Secret Service, the Department of Justice's Criminal Division, the US Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations-DC, alongside US Attorney's Offices for the Districts of Alaska, Rhode Island, Hawaii, and Western Washington. It also works with the Treasury and State Departments and with private industry partners. The MOU with UK authorities marks the Strike Force's move toward building a wider international coalition of prosecution and investigative bodies focused on the same threat, with the London disruption event set to test the practical coordination outlined in the agreement.
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