Interpol announced on November 3rd week that it had seized around $130 Mn from cyber criminals. The action was part of the Global HAECHI-III Crackdown Operation.
The seizure of virtual assets amounting to about $130 Mn is in connection with an operation for a global crackdown on financial and money laundering crimes that are cyber-powered.
One of the most impactful incidents took place as a call center fraud. Cybercriminals impersonated Europol and Interpol officials to transfer funds from Austria. The call centers were based in Noida and New Delhi, India.
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“In order to clear themselves of this suspicion, the victims were compelled to transfer their assets/money to a trust account through bank transfers, crypto wallets, gift card codes, or voucher codes,” says CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation), India.
Officially called the HAECHI-III, the operation occurred between 28th June and 23rd November 2022. As a result, around 975 individuals were arrested, and about 1,600 cases were closed.
Last year, HAECHI-II was conducted, which led to the arrests of around 1,000 cybercriminals. Also, $27 mn was recovered.
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Critical aspects of the operation include:
The agency confiscated around 25.83 bitcoins besides $37,000 in various digital wallets.
A bank account of a suspect was frozen. The account held around $37,000.
Many financial crimes were unearthed, including voice phishing, investment fraud, money laundering, etc.
The investigation also confirms that cybercriminals are exploring various ways and introducing new techniques on a day-to-day basis.