40,000 SIM Cards Confiscated: Europol Busts SIMCARTEL Fraud Ring
Europol investigators have crippled the IT infrastructure of cybercriminals responsible for millions in damages across the EU.
With 40,000 SIM cards, criminals engaged in large-scale fraud across Europe.
(Image: Europol)
In the course of Operation SIMCARTEL, Europol and Eurojust have seized the IT infrastructure of a fraud ring. According to investigators, the criminals are responsible for damages totaling around five million euros across Europe.
Background
As reported by Europol, the operation resulted in five arrests, among other actions. Servers, 40,000 active SIM cards, and four luxury cars were also confiscated. The majority of the criminal activities originated from Austria and Latvia. According to investigators, other criminals were able to utilize the “services” for their illicit activities. This was facilitated through a professional website.
Investigators state that the core of the IT infrastructure was a telecommunications network with approximately 40,000 active SIM cards. Through this network, criminals made fraudulent calls and created fake accounts on web services. This includes, for example, the “grandparent scam,” where a supposed relative contacts a victim in a fabricated emergency situation to build trust and ultimately extort money.
Additionally, accounts were created on secondhand marketplaces for fraudulent purposes. Furthermore, the fraudsters operated fake shops and banking websites for phishing attacks and impersonated police investigators to lure victims into traps.
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Investigators are currently determining the extent of the criminal activities. They indicate that, based on current knowledge, more than 49 million fake accounts have been created through the network. Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and Austria participated in the investigation.
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