Fake police officers on the phone, cryptocurrency scam… Interpol’s annual operation to fight online fraud has broken records in 2024 with more than 5,500 arrests and $400 million seized worldwide, announced the institution on Wednesday.
Called “HAECHI V”, it took place between July and November with the collaboration of 40 countries, specifies in a press release the international police cooperation organization whose headquarters is in Lyon, in central-eastern France.
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Seven types of “cyber fraud” were targeted, such as voice phishing, sentiment scams, “sextortion” (sexual blackmail) and illegal online gambling generating money laundering.
During this operation, South Korean and Chinese investigators notably dismantled a vast telephone “phishing” network, with a “sophisticated” modus operandi: the criminals posed as representatives of the police to extract money. money to their interlocutors. More than 1,900 identified victims lost a total of nearly $1.1 billion.
Investigators also uncovered a new cryptocurrency scam practice. Victims were first offered to buy Tether “stablecoins”, a popular cryptocurrency, via real platforms. A link received by email then allowed them to create their investor profile, but by clicking they also and unknowingly authorized the scammers to access their portfolio, from which they could then draw as they wished.
>> Read also: The ravages of “fake buyers” on online sales sites
“Devastating effects”
“The effects of cybercrime can be devastating: people lose their life savings, businesses are paralyzed and trust in digital and financial systems is shaken,” said Interpol’s new secretary general, Valdecy Urquiza.
“Our efforts have not only brought criminals to justice, they have also enabled significant progress in the interception and recovery of illicit funds,” said Jun Hyeong Lee, director of the central office of Interpol in South Korea.
For this 2024 operation, Interpol claims to have almost doubled its number of resolved cases in the fight against online fraud (a little over 8,000) compared to that of 2023.
>> To protect yourself from online scams, read: Phishing, malware and online scams; how to protect yourself from cyberattacks
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