Law enforcement officials said the operation began this week as agencies across the three countries work together to detect and interrupt cryptocurrency scams tied to fraudulent wallet approvals, a tactic widely used in online investment fraud schemes.

Operation Atlantic is being led by the U.S. Secret Service alongside the UK’s National Crime Agency, the Ontario Provincial Police and the Ontario Securities Commission. Officials say the initiative focuses on identifying people who may have already lost crypto assets—or are in danger of losing them—to approval-phishing scams linked to investment fraud networks.

“Approval phishing and investment scams cost victims millions in financial loss each year,” Brent Daniels, deputy assistant director for the U.S. Secret Service Office of Field Operations, said in a statement. Daniels said the coordinated effort allows investigators to identify scams and intervene “in near real time,” limiting criminals’ ability to profit.

Other participating agencies include the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the City of London Police, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the UK Financial Conduct Authority. Authorities are also working with private-sector partners and crypto industry participants to help track suspicious transactions and alert potential victims.

Officials say approval phishing is particularly effective because it exploits a routine feature of many crypto wallets. Victims receive a request—often disguised as a legitimate alert from a trusted app or platform—asking them to approve access to their wallet. By clicking “approve,” users may unknowingly grant criminals full permission to move assets.

Once scammers obtain wallet permissions, they can transfer crypto to other addresses within seconds. Because blockchain transactions are typically irreversible, recovering the funds can be extremely difficult.

Operation Atlantic investigators are contacting potential victims directly through phone calls and emails, explaining how the scams work and providing steps to secure accounts before additional funds are taken.

“Approval phishing scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated,” remarked Paul Foster, deputy director of cyber at the UK National Crime Agency. He said cross-border cooperation is essential because the criminal groups behind these schemes often operate across multiple jurisdictions.

The effort builds on Project Atlas, a 2024 Canadian-led operation hosted by the Ontario Provincial Police that targeted international cryptocurrency investment fraud networks. Authorities said Operation Atlantic expands that model by allowing agencies to coordinate investigations and victim outreach in real time.

Detective Superintendent Jennifer Spurrell, director of the Financial Crimes Services Bureau at the Ontario Provincial Police, said Project Atlas demonstrated the value of coordinated enforcement efforts against global crypto fraud operations.

“As fraud becomes increasingly global, this level of collaboration is essential,” Spurrell said.

Law enforcement agencies also issued guidance urging crypto users to double-check wallet approval requests, enable multi-factor authentication and monitor token permissions through tools such as blockchain explorers and permission-revocation services.

Authorities cautioned that scammers frequently attempt “recovery scams” after thefts, offering to retrieve lost crypto for a fee—an offer investigators say is almost always another fraud.

Officials emphasized that Operation Atlantic participants will never request payment to recover stolen cryptocurrency.

• What is Operation Atlantic?
  Operation Atlantic is a joint law enforcement initiative involving the U.S., UK and Canada aimed at identifying and disrupting crypto fraud schemes tied to approval-phishing scams.
• What is approval phishing in cryptocurrency scams?
  Approval phishing tricks users into granting wallet permissions that allow scammers to transfer crypto assets without the victim realizing it.
• Who is participating in Operation Atlantic?
  The effort includes the U.S. Secret Service, UK National Crime Agency, Ontario Provincial Police, Ontario Securities Commission and several other law enforcement agencies.
• How can crypto users protect themselves from approval-phishing scams?
  Users should verify URLs, avoid unsolicited investment offers, enable multi-factor authentication and regularly review wallet permission settings.

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