- Europol dismantled $700 million cryptocurrency laundering network
- Raids in Cyprus, Germany and Spain resulted in the seizure of $1.7 million in assets and the arrest of nine.
- The fraudsters used fraudulent platforms, pressure tactics and fake celebrity advertisements to lure thousands of victims.
Europol and several national law enforcement agencies recently dismantled a cryptocurrency and money laundering network worth over 700 million. The network spanned multiple countries and covered fake exchanges, fake customer support centers, and fake affiliate marketing infrastructure.
The takedown resulted in the seizure of more than $1 million in assets and the arrest of nine suspects.
“What started as an investigation into a single fraudulent cryptocurrency platform gradually transformed into a complex and large-scale operation, revealing a vast network of deception and money laundering,” Europol said.
Second phase – affiliate marketing
In a statement shared earlier this week, police explained that the operation was divided into two parts. Initially, coordinated police raids were carried out in Cyprus, Germany and Spain.
During these searches, police seized approximately $930,000 in bank accounts, approximately $500,000 in cryptocurrencies and approximately $350,000 in cash. They also seized digital devices, “high value watches”, and arrested nine people suspected of laundering stolen cryptos through fake investment and trading platforms.
Scammers reportedly develop fake crypto investment platforms, lure “thousands of victims” with sophisticated advertisements, then repeatedly contact them through criminal call centers to pressure them into investing even more.
In the second phase, the operation focused on the affiliate marketing infrastructure that supported the online scam. “Coordinated actions have been taken against companies and suspects behind fraudulent advertising campaigns on social media platforms,” the statement said.
It’s the kind of advertising that promises high returns on low investments, with little to no risk. In many cases, these are deepfake videos of celebrities, politicians and tech gurus such as Donald Trump, Elon Musk or Michael Saylor. Europol claims that only potential investor data obtained in this way is vital to the functioning of the crypto scam sector.
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