Coinbase has joined a coordinated international enforcement operation targeting scam networks that have been expanding into West Africa, the company said. The four-day effort, carried out in London from Oct. 6 to 9, brought the exchange together with the United Kingdom's National Crime Agency, the U.S. Department of Justice's Scam Center Strike Force, the industry coalition Tech Against Scams, and other international partners. The campaign paired Coinbase's on-chain analytics with the investigative reach of law enforcement and industry partners.

Coinbase Traces Crypto Flows Behind Scam Networks

Coinbase's Global Intelligence team led the exchange's contribution to the campaign, tracking illicit crypto activity tied to scam operations. According to the company, its investigators helped trace funds, supported asset freeze operations, and shared intelligence with law enforcement that could assist ongoing criminal investigations.

The tracing work is made possible by the transparency of public blockchains, where transfers between wallets leave records analysts can follow even as funds move across services. The work integrated blockchain transaction data with other elements of the digital fraud ecosystem, such as fake social media profiles, messaging accounts, and fraudulent websites. By combining these data points, investigators can connect activity that might otherwise appear disconnected as it moves across platforms. Coinbase said the goal was not merely to shut down individual accounts, but to uncover the underlying systems being used to mask the movement of stolen assets and run scams. The company described the operation in a blog post.

Fake Investments and Staged Video-Call Arrests

The operation addressed multiple facets of the fraud. Coinbase identified fake cryptocurrency investment schemes, alongside impersonation scams in which criminals posed as law enforcement officers and staged arrests over video calls. The impersonation element lends the schemes a false air of official authority, making victims more likely to comply with demands for payment.

According to Coinbase, these scams are often executed across numerous services before funds end up in a crypto wallet or exchange. A victim might first be contacted via social media, then moved to a private messaging service, and finally asked to pay through financial channels. This is why enterprise-level intelligence sharing is particularly valuable when investigators are trying to uncover the entire scheme, the company said.

West Africa Emerges as a New Focus

Coinbase said that efforts to crack down on scam compounds across Southeast Asia have compelled some criminal organizations to expand their activities into other parts of the world, including West Africa.

The London operation was aimed at disrupting these networks before they could build stronger infrastructure. Participants focused on the accounts, communications channels, and payment mechanisms that facilitate scam activity, according to the company. The pre-emptive timing reflects the mobility of these networks, which have already demonstrated they relocate when enforcement pressure builds in one region.

The effort also signals a broader trend in which technology vendors, financial institutions, telecommunications companies, and security organizations are becoming more directly involved in coordinated investigations.

Coinbase Keeps Pressure on Crypto Fraud Networks

Coinbase has supported similar scam-tracking campaigns in the past. The company said its role in the latest operation was to ensure that blockchain intelligence could be merged with data collected by third-party organizations, enabling police to respond more quickly.

Coinbase Vice President Leah Bressack described the strategy as sustained pressure on criminal networks that move between regions and platforms.

Looking ahead, Coinbase said it plans to continue working with Tech Against Scams and its law enforcement partners to trace illicit funds, disrupt active schemes, and support investigations into the groups operating them.