Cybercrime: Interpol intercepts $ 130 million from online fraud

Operation Haechi III lasted more than five months, from June 28 to November 23, in around thirty countries and made it possible to stop nearly a thousand suspects.

MO12345lemonde with AFP

A major operation led by Interpol led to the arrest of nearly a thousand suspects, and made it possible to intercept $ 130 million (nearly 125 million euros) of active people from fraud Online clerks, announced, Thursday, November 24, the international criminal police organization in a press release .

Vocal phishing, sentimental scams, “sextrusions” (extortion using sexual images), investment fraud, professional email compromise, money laundering linked to illegal silver games : Operation Haechi III lasted more than five months, from June 28 to November 23, in around thirty countries, explains Interpol.

In total, the operation allowed the arrest of 975 people and the resolution of more than 1,600 files. Nearly 2,800 accounts of deposits and virtual assets were blocked in connection with these financial crime cases.

pyramid of Ponzi

The investigations launched within the framework of Haechi III generated the publication of 95 notices and broadcasts of Interpol, and made it possible to identify new emerging trends in online crime, in particular new variations in the usurpations of ‘identify. Investigators also raised an increase in fraud on instant messaging applications that encourage payment via cryptocurrency portfolios.

In one of the surveys, two Koreans under the blow of Red notices of Interpol, suspected of having diverted 28 million euros with 2,000 victims thanks to a pyramid of Ponzi (a fraud which consists in remunerating The investments of customers essentially by the funds provided by the new entrants) were arrested in Greece and Italy.

Austrian and Indian investigators identified a group of cybercriminals who pretended to be interpol agents. This group persuaded victims to transfer money via financial institutions, cryptocurrency platforms and dematerialized gift cards.

/Media reports cited above.