Interpol busts 3,500 alleged cybercriminals and scammers, seizes $300 million of ill-gotten proceeds, and warns about the rise of the NFT 'rug pull'
The International Criminal Police Organisation better-known as Interpol has announced the arrest of 3,500 alleged cybercriminals and scammers, alongside the seizure of $300 million in cash and digital assets across 34 nations. The arrests marked the conclusion of what Interpol calls Operation HAECHI IV, a six-month investigation funded by South Korea.
The operation tackled seven particular types of cyberscam that Interpol lists as: «voice phishing, romance scams, online sextortion, investment fraud, money laundering associated with illegal online gambling, business email compromise fraud, and e-commerce fraud.» It says that 82,112 suspicious bank accounts were blocked, and it seized $199 million in hard currency and $101 million in virtual assets. Interpol says the majority of cases (75%) involved investment fraud, business email compromise and e-commerce fraud.
«The seizure of USD 300 million represents a staggering sum and clearly illustrates the incentive behind today’s explosive growth of transnational organized crime,» said Stephen Kavanagh of Interpol. «This represents the savings and hard-earned cash of victims. This vast accumulation of unlawful wealth is a serious threat to global security and weakens the economic stability of nations worldwide.»
Kavanagh also gives a shout-out to agents in Philippines and Korea, whose co-operation led to the arrest in Manila of a particularly high profile online criminal sought under a Korean Red Notice, and the dismantling of the illegal gambling network he led.
«Despite criminals' endeavors to gain illicit advantages through contemporary trends, they will eventually be apprehended and face due punishment,» said the head of Interpol's Korea bureau Kim Dong Kwon. «To accomplish
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