Major European Money Laundering/Money Mule Services Operation Shut Down By Europol – 2024

Major European Money Laundering/Money Mule Services Operation Shut Down By Europol

Primary Category: Criminal Justice

Authors:
• SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
• Europol

About This Article

Europol, alongside Italian and Portuguese authorities, spearheaded a major crackdown on money mule service providers laundering over EUR 10 million for a criminal organization behind cryptocurrency scams.

Supported by law enforcement from Austria, France, Germany, Romania, Spain, and Switzerland, the operation involved raids in France, Italy, and Romania, resulting in 11 detentions, including the scheme’s mastermind, and the seizure of electronic devices, jewelry, and cryptocurrencies.

The scam targeted millionaires through sophisticated rip-deal scams, utilizing cryptocurrencies. Europol and Eurojust provided critical support, facilitating information exchange and forensic assistance, while Europol’s #DontBeaMule campaign aims to prevent money mule activities across the EU.

SCARS Editorial Team2024-06-02T22:07:53-04:00June 2nd, 2024|Categories: • CRIMINAL JUSTICE, • CRIMES & CRIMINALS, 2024, EUROPE, EUROPOL, NEWS, SCARS Institute Editorial Team|Tags: Cryptomules, EUROPOL, Money Laundering, Money Mule|0 Comments

Europol’s Operation ENDGAME Strikes At Heart Of Cybercrime’s Botnet Universe – 2024

Europol’s Operation ENDGAME Strikes At Heart Of Cybercrime’s Botnet Universe

Europol and Partners Take Down Another Major Botnet Cybercrime Organization

Primary Category: Cybercrime

Authors:
• SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
• Europol

About This Article

Europol’s largest-ever operation against botnets, dubbed Operation Endgame, targeted malware droppers like IcedID, SystemBC, Pikabot, Smokeloader, and Bumblebee. Coordinated from Europol’s headquarters between May 27 and 29, 2024, the operation aimed to disrupt criminal services by arresting high-value targets, taking down criminal infrastructures, and freezing illegal proceeds.

The multinational effort, involving countries such as France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States, led to four arrests, 16 location searches, and the takedown of over 100 servers. This operation, supported by Eurojust and various private partners, addressed the complex challenge of international cybercrime, highlighting the critical role of botnets in deploying ransomware.

Global Law Enforcement Collaboration Takes Down ‘LabHost’ Phishing-As-A-Service Platform – 2024

Global Law Enforcement Collaboration Takes Down ‘LabHost’ Phishing-As-A-Service Platform

The Takedown of the LabHost Platform is a Major Step in Reducing Phishing Scams

Authors:
• SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
• Portions from Europol and UK Metropolitan Police

About This Article

Law enforcement agencies from 19 countries collaborated in a year-long operation to disrupt ‘LabHost,’ one of the world’s largest phishing-as-a-service platforms. Coordinated by Europol, the operation resulted in the compromise of LabHost’s infrastructure and the initial arrest of 37 suspects, with the potential for as many as 1,000 more arrests.

LabHost facilitated phishing attacks on users of hundreds of financial institutions worldwide for a monthly subscription fee. The platform, previously available on the open web, has been shut down following the investigation.

EUROPOL Action Against European Money Laundering Operations – 2024

EUROPOL Action Against European Money Laundering Operations

Law Enforcement Actions Against Organized Crime in Europe

Authors:
• SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
• EUROPOL

About This Article

Judicial and law enforcement authorities from Italy, Latvia, and Lithuania have collaborated to dismantle a large-scale money laundering operation, orchestrated through a Lithuanian financial institution, with over EUR 2 billion laundered since 2017.

The operation involved two main suspects who offered money laundering services online to criminals worldwide, resulting in their detention along with 16 others. Facilitated by Eurojust and Europol, the operation saw the freezing of over EUR 11.5 million in assets and bank accounts.

The institution facilitated fictitious transactions for various criminal activities, including tax evasion and organized crime, while one suspect defrauded Italian authorities of EUR 15 million.

SCARS Editorial Team2024-02-28T16:33:42-05:00February 28th, 2024|Categories: • CRIMINAL JUSTICE, 2024, EUROPOL, NEWS, SCARS Institute Editorial Team|Tags: EUROPOL, Money Laundering, Organized Crime|0 Comments

LockBit Ransomware Shut Down By Combined Global Law Enforcement – 2024

LockBit Ransomware Shut Down By Combined Global Law Enforcement

Global Operation Chronos Shuts Down LockBit Ransomware

Cybercrime News

Authors:
• SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
• Europol
• U.S. Department of Justice

About This Article

FBI and Europol reports LockBit as the most deployed ransomware globally, with operations disrupted by law enforcement across ten countries. LockBit, infamous for causing extensive financial damage, saw its criminal activities severely compromised.

The international effort, led by the UK’s National Crime Agency under ‘Operation Cronos’, coordinated by Europol, dismantled LockBit’s infrastructure, including 34 seized servers. Arrests were made in Poland and Ukraine, with warrants issued by French and US authorities. Over 200 cryptocurrency accounts linked to the group were frozen.

SCARS Editorial Team2024-02-21T22:12:44-05:00February 21st, 2024|Categories: • CRIMES & CRIMINALS, 2024, EUROPOL, NEWS, SCARS Institute Editorial Team, U.S. Department of Justice, WORLDWIDE|Tags: EUROPOL, FBI, Law Enforcement, LockBit, NCA, Operation Chronos, Ransomware|0 Comments

Ukrainian Scammer/Cryptojacker Arrested – 2024

Ukrainian Scammer/Cryptojacker Arrested

Law Enforcement Action Against Cybercriminals

Authors:
• SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
• EUROPOL

Article Abstract

A 29-year-old mastermind of a complex cryptojacking scheme, believed to have mined over EUR 1.8 million, was arrested in Mykolaiv, Ukraine.

The National Police of Ukraine, supported by Europol and a cloud provider, collaborated intensively to apprehend the suspect. Cryptojacking involves the unauthorized use of cloud infrastructure to mine cryptocurrencies, bypassing server and power costs.

EUROPOL Money Mule Action 2023 – Over 10,000 Identified

Authors:
• SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
• Portions EUROPOL

For Money Mules, Their Paper Trail Ends In Jail Time For 1,013 Money Mules As A Result Of The 2023 Europol Actions Against Money Mules

2,822 banks and financial institutions join forces with law enforcement agencies against Money Mules in a global effort against money laundering!

Law enforcement agencies from 26 countries, in collaboration with Europol, Eurojust, INTERPOL, and several private industry partners, have once again joined forces to combat a key facilitator of money laundering: money mules and their recruiters. In June, October, and November 2023, several operational phases identified 10,759 money mules and 474 recruiters, leading to the arrest of 1,013 individuals worldwide.

SCARS Editorial Team2023-12-09T07:35:37-05:00December 4th, 2023|Categories: • CRIMINAL JUSTICE, 2023, EUROPE, EUROPOL, NEWS, SCARS Institute Editorial Team|Tags: EUROPOL, Money Laundering, Money Mules|0 Comments

Ransomware – Ukraine Gets Serious About Combatting Homegrown Cybercrime 2023

Ukraine Gets Serious About Combatting Homegrown Cybercrime

Authors:
• SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc., and
• EUROPOL

Dismantlement Of Ransomware Group In Ukraine Amidst Ongoing War – An International Collaboration Success

The Ukraine ransomware gang is behind high-profile attacks that created losses of hundreds of millions of euros

In an unprecedented effort, law enforcement and judicial authorities from seven countries have joined forces with Europol and Eurojust to dismantle and apprehend in Ukraine the key figures behind significant ransomware operations wreaking havoc across the world. The operation comes at a critical time, as the country grapples with the challenges of Russia’s military aggression against its territory.

SCARS Editorial Team2023-12-11T08:03:30-05:00November 28th, 2023|Categories: EUROPOL, • CRIMINAL JUSTICE, 2023, EUROPE, NEWS, SCARS Institute Editorial Team, UKRAINE|Tags: Cybercrime, EUROPOL, Ransomware, Ukraine|0 Comments

EUROPOL

Major European Money Laundering/Money Mule Services Operation Shut Down By Europol

Primary Category: Criminal Justice

Authors: • SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. • Europol

About This Article

Europol’s Operation ENDGAME Strikes At Heart Of Cybercrime’s Botnet Universe

Europol and Partners Take Down Another Major Botnet Cybercrime Organization

Primary Category: Cybercrime

Authors: • SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. • Europol

About This Article

Global Law Enforcement Collaboration Takes Down ‘LabHost’ Phishing-As-A-Service Platform

The Takedown of the LabHost Platform is a Major Step in Reducing Phishing Scams

Authors: • SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. • Portions from Europol and UK Metropolitan Police

About This Article

EUROPOL Action Against European Money Laundering Operations

Law Enforcement Actions Against Organized Crime in Europe

Authors: • SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. • EUROPOL

About This Article

LockBit Ransomware Shut Down By Combined Global Law Enforcement

Global Operation Chronos Shuts Down LockBit Ransomware

Cybercrime News

Authors: • SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. • Europol • U.S. Department of Justice

About This Article

Ukrainian Scammer/Cryptojacker Arrested

Law Enforcement Action Against Cybercriminals

Authors: • SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. • EUROPOL

Article Abstract

EUROPOL Money Mule Action 2023 – Over 10,000 Identified

Authors: • SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. • Portions EUROPOL

For Money Mules, Their Paper Trail Ends In Jail Time For 1,013 Money Mules As A Result Of The 2023 Europol Actions Against Money Mules

Ukraine Gets Serious About Combatting Homegrown Cybercrime

Authors: • SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc., and • EUROPOL

Dismantlement Of Ransomware Group In Ukraine Amidst Ongoing War – An International Collaboration Success

Authors:
• SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
• Europol

Authors:
• SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
• Europol

Authors:
• SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
• Portions from Europol and UK Metropolitan Police

Authors:
• SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
• EUROPOL

Authors:
• SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
• Europol
• U.S. Department of Justice

Authors:
• SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
• EUROPOL

Authors:
• SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
• Portions EUROPOL

Authors:
• SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc., and
• EUROPOL