UK Fraud Review Calls for Judge Training on Crypto Laundering, AI Scams

According to the Independent Review of Disclosure and Fraud Offences published Tuesday, the Judicial College should prepare all judges, including magistrates, to handle a rising tide of cases involving cryptocurrency money laundering and AI-enabled fraud. The review, chaired by barrister Jonathan Fisher KC and released by the Home Office, warns that fraud may soon account for half of all crime in England and Wales.

More than half of investment scams now involve crypto-assets, according to the Financial Ombudsman Service, with an estimated 4.1 million fraud offences recorded in the year to June 2025. The review highlights the prosecution of Qian Zhimin, whose Ponzi scheme produced the UK's largest-ever cryptocurrency seizure of more than 61,000 BTC.