Massive global Interpol bust uncovers multiple charges, including illegal gambling
Interpol hopes this will be a major blow to cybercriminals around the world and has established a joint international task force codenamed Operation Hachi IV.This resulted in the arrest of thousands of suspects suspected of involvement in a range of illegal activities, including illegal gambling.
In a press release on Tuesday, Interpol announced the arrests of 3,500 people and the seizure of more than $300 million in cash and digital assets. The six-month operation was funded by South Korea and involved law enforcement agencies from 34 countries.
Operation HAECHI IV, which began last July, specifically targets certain types of online fraud. Key topics include romance fraud, online sextortion, money laundering related to illegal online gambling, investment fraud, voice phishing, e-commerce fraud and business email compromise (BEC) fraud.
Most of the cases investigated by "Operation HAECHI IV" involved BEC fraud, e-commerce fraud and investment fraud, accounting for more than 75% of all cases. These scams often involve tricking victims into disclosing sensitive financial information or transferring funds to fraudulent accounts.
PURPLE NOTICE ISSUED BY INTERPOL
INTERPOL particularly commends the Philippines and South Korea for their joint efforts. Their efforts led to the arrest of a criminal wanted in Manila for illegal online gambling. The arrest was the result of a two-year investigation by the South Korean National Police Agency, but Interpol did not name the individual.
Two "Purple Notices" were also issued in connection with the attacks, highlighting new trends and methods used by cybercriminals. These alerts are designed to inform law enforcement agencies around the world about specific threats and how they operate.
A purple notice details a South Korean scam in which investors were tricked into buying non-fungible tokens (NFTs) with the promise of huge returns. In this scam, known as "rug pulling," scammers disappear with the funds after investors purchase the NFT. Victims are left with nothing but worthless digital assets.
Another purple note warned of the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) and deepfake technology. Criminals use these techniques to disguise their identities and impersonate someone the victim knows. They also create convincingly fake content, making it harder for people to detect fraudulent activity.
Block the flow of funds
To disrupt the flow of illicit funds, Operation HAECHI IV leveraged INTERPOL’s Global Intervention for Rapid Payments (I-GRIP) mechanism, which enables rapid, coordinated action around the world to freeze banks suspected of being linked to criminal activity accounts and assets and forfeit them.
As a result of these measures, 82,112 suspicious bank accounts were blocked. In addition, more than $199 million in hard currency and $101 million in virtual assets were seized.
Interpol added that Argentina, Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines Poland, South Korea, Romania, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam participated in the operation.
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Source: www.casino.org
