Binance Supports Operation Led by the UK's NCA that Froze $12 Million in Approval Phishing Scams

ABU DHABI, UAE, April 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Binance, the leading blockchain company behind the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume and users, today announced its participation in and support of Operation Atlantic, the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA)-led international law enforcement operation targeting cryptocurrency and investment scammers.

Binance, along with other private industry partners and law enforcement agencies, joined Operation Atlantic, a week-long event and effort co-hosted by the NCA, US Secret Service, Ontario Provincial Police and Ontario Securities Commission. The operation focused on identifying victims who have lost, or were at risk of losing, cryptocurrency through approval phishing scams. This type of scam occurs when criminals deceive victims into granting wallet access under the guise of investment opportunities.

On-site at the NCA's London headquarters, Binance's Special Investigations team deployed investigative support, including live account screening and proactive scam intelligence, as part of the international law enforcement operation. The operation identified more than 20,000 victims across the UK, Canada and the United States with over $12 million in suspected criminal proceeds frozen.

The Binance Special Investigations team on the ground operated in real-time—screening and identifying thousands of victims on behalf of the operation, delivering rapid victim identification to support law enforcement outreach and intervention efforts.

In addition to victim screening, Binance provided actionable intelligence on potential bad actors to assist with asset seizure efforts and conducted proactive research that identified scam websites still actively defrauding victims at the time of the operation. No funds were seized or frozen from Binance accounts as the criminal proceeds targeted by the operation were held outside of the Binance platform.

"Operation Atlantic is a powerful example of what is possible when international agencies and private industry work side by side," said NCA Deputy Director of Investigations Miles Bonfield in its official press release. "This intensive action has led to the safeguarding of thousands of victims in the UK and overseas, stopped criminals in their tracks and helped save others from losing their funds. "We know that fraudsters operate globally and, together with our international partners, so will the NCA to target them wherever they are based."

"Approval phishing is one of the most damaging types of scams targeting crypto users today, and Operation Atlantic underscores how effective crime fighting is possible when private and public partners move together to stop fraud at the source," said Binance Senior Regional Advisor for EMEA Flavio Tonon. "The inherent transparency of the blockchain makes it difficult for criminals to hide for long while exploiting victims. We are proud to have played a meaningful role in protecting thousands of potential victims."

Binance continues to work closely with law enforcement agencies globally to further protect the blockchain ecosystem from bad actors and ensure a secure environment in the digital assets space to advance security and innovation together. In 2025, Binance supported more than 71,000 law enforcement requests and assisted in the confiscation of more than $131 million in illicit funds.

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