Governments Expand Anti-Scam Measures and Shift Responsibility to Industry
The UK government unveiled a new national fraud strategy aimed at reducing the country’s most common crime by shifting more responsibility for scam prevention onto telecom providers, technology platforms, and financial firms. The plan follows criticism that fraud—estimated at roughly 40% of recorded crime in England and Wales, with a majority cyber-enabled—has not received a commensurate law-enforcement response. UK authorities are also restructuring fraud intake and analysis through Report Fraud, a new national reporting system intended to replace Action Fraud and improve pattern detection and alerting, with stakeholders warning that outcomes will depend on the quality and reliability of submitted data.
In parallel, other governments are rolling out more aggressive anti-scam initiatives. Dutch national police launched the “Game Over?!” campaign, threatening to publicly identify 100 scam suspects unless they surrender, as part of a broader effort to curb impersonation fraud such as fake police officer and fake bank employee scams that have surged in recent years. In the US, an executive order directed multiple agencies to produce a 120-day action plan to prevent, disrupt, investigate, and dismantle transnational cybercrime organizations (including scam-center operators) and proposed a Victim Restoration Program to return seized or forfeited funds to victims of cyber-enabled fraud, supported by a new operational unit to improve interagency coordination and information sharing, with private-sector threat intelligence used “when appropriate.”
Timeline
Apr 1, 2026
Tokyo police elevate Tokuryu task force to intensify scam crackdown
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police said they will raise command of a special task force to the Deputy Superintendent General level on April 1 to strengthen action against anonymous Tokuryu crime networks. The intensified effort will prioritize groups allegedly tied to special fraud and social-media investment and romance scams, with closer coordination across organized crime, cybercrime, and financial intelligence units.
Mar 24, 2026
South Korea approves tougher fines for illegal spam senders
South Korea's Cabinet approved revisions to the communications law allowing fines of up to 6% of relevant sales for illegal spam activity and confiscation of illicit proceeds. The changes also permit penalties against mobile carriers that fail to prevent illegal spam, with regulators planning follow-on enforcement rules.
Mar 10, 2026
UK unveils national fraud strategy and Online Crime Centre
The UK government announced a new national fraud strategy that shifts more responsibility for scam prevention onto telecom companies, technology platforms, and financial firms. The plan includes a new Online Crime Centre backed by more than £30 million to coordinate agencies such as the National Crime Agency and GCHQ with private-sector partners to disrupt scam infrastructure.
Mar 9, 2026
Dutch police launch 'Game Over?!' anti-scam surrender campaign
The Dutch National Police launched the 'Game Over?!' campaign to combat scams involving fake police officers and fake bank employees by publicly displaying blurred images of 100 suspects on billboards, television, and online ads. Police said suspects have until March 19 to surrender or be identified before faces are unblurred starting March 23.
Mar 9, 2026
White House issues executive order targeting scam centers and cyber fraud
The Trump administration issued an executive order directing a whole-of-government response to transnational criminal organizations running scam centers and conducting cyber-enabled fraud. The order requires a multi-agency action plan within 120 days, creates a Victim Restoration Program within 90 days, and establishes a coordination unit to improve information sharing and rapid response.
Apr 24, 2025
UK announces ban on SIM farms to disrupt fraud and scam texts
The UK government announced a Europe-first ban on the possession and supply of SIM farms without a legitimate reason, targeting infrastructure used to send scam texts at scale and create large volumes of verified online accounts. The measure will be introduced through the Crime and Policing Bill and will take effect six months after Royal Assent, with financial penalties including unlimited fines in England and Wales.
Nov 27, 2023
UK confirms plan to criminalize SIM farm supply and possession
The UK government published its response to a Home Office consultation and confirmed it would introduce legislation creating a new criminal offence for supplying or possessing SIM farms, with exemptions for legitimate uses. The response outlined a proposed definition covering devices with five or more physical SIM cards used for calls or SMS and said the offence would carry an unlimited fine.
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1 months ago
UK Proposal to Centralize Cybercrime Policing via a National Police Service
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1 months ago
INTERPOL Operation Synergia III Disrupts Global Phishing and Fraud Infrastructure
**INTERPOL** said **Operation Synergia III** led to the arrest of **94 suspects**, the seizure of **212 devices and servers**, and the sinkholing or takedown of more than **45,000 malicious IP addresses** tied to cybercrime infrastructure across **72 countries and territories**. The operation ran from July 2025 through January 2026 and targeted infrastructure supporting **phishing, malware, ransomware, romance scams, credit card fraud, and related online fraud**. Authorities said **110 additional individuals remain under investigation**, underscoring that follow-on enforcement activity is still ongoing. Preliminary case details show broad international participation and a focus on both technical infrastructure and fraud operators. In **Macau**, investigators identified more than **33,000 phishing and fraudulent websites**, including fake casino, banking, government, payment, and other critical-service sites used to steal credentials and payment data. In **Bangladesh**, authorities arrested **40 suspects** and seized **134 devices** linked to loan scams, employment scams, identity theft, and credit card fraud, while in **Togo** police arrested **10 suspects** tied to a fraud ring whose members split responsibilities between account compromise and social-engineering schemes such as romance and sextortion scams. The reporting describes a coordinated law-enforcement disruption of active criminal infrastructure rather than a vendor announcement or generic security guidance.
1 months ago