Europol
Operation PowerOFF identifies 75k DDoS users, takes down 53 domains
More than 75,000 individuals using distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) platforms for disruptive attacks have been warned through emails and letters during the latest phase of the Operation PowerOFF international law enforcement action. The ongoing operation is supported by Europol and involves authorities in 21 countries. Coordinated efforts led to the arrest of four people, taking offline […]
Police take down 373,000 fake CSAM sites in Operation Alice
An international law enforcement action called Operation Alice has shut down over 373,000 dark web sites that offered fake CSAM packages. The investigation, led by Germany and supported by Europol, began in mid-2021 and focused on a platform called “Alice with Violence CP,” operated by a 35-year-old suspect based in China. These sites advertised child sexual […]
Europol-coordinated action disrupts Tycoon2FA phishing platform
An international law enforcement operation coordinated by Europol has disrupted Tycoon2FA, a major phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) platform linked to tens of millions of phishing messages each month. In total, 330 domains part of the criminal service’s backbone infrastructure (including control panels and phishing pages) were seized and taken offline during this joint action. “The technical disruption was […]
Europol-led crackdown on The Com hackers leads to 30 arrests
A yearlong Europol-coordinated operation dubbed “Project Compass” has led to 30 arrests and 179 suspects being tied to “The Com,” an online cybercrime collective that targets children and teenagers. In a press release issued on Thursday, Europol said that investigators identified 62 victims and directly safeguarded four of them from the group’s attacks. Launched in […]
Police takes down Cryptomixer cryptocurrency mixing service
Law enforcement officers from Switzerland and Germany have taken down the Cryptomixer cryptocurrency-mixing service, believed to have helped cybercriminals launder stolen funds. The joint action was part of “Operation Olympia,” and it took place between November 24 and November 28 in Zurich, Switzerland. Authorities, supported by Europol and Eurojust, seized three servers and the clear web […]
Police busts credit card fraud rings with 4.3 million victims
International authorities have dismantled three massive credit card fraud and money laundering networks, linked to losses exceeding €300 million ($344 million) and affecting over 4.3 million cardholders across 193 countries. The November 4th joint action, dubbed “Operation Chargeback,” included investigators from Germany, the USA, Canada, Singapore, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands. The operation […]
Dutch teens arrested for trying to spy on Europol for Russia
Two Dutch teenage boys aged 17, reportedly used hacking devices to spy for Russia, have been arrested by the Politie on Monday. According to De Telegraaf, the two used a WiFi sniffer device near Europol and Eurojust offices, as well as the Canadian embassy in The Hague. GeekFeed has contacted Europol to confirm the reports, and a […]
Police dismantles crypto fraud ring linked to €100 million in losses
Law enforcement authorities in Europe have arrested five suspects linked to a cryptocurrency investment fraud ring that stole over €100 million ($118 million) from more than 100 victims. The joint operation started in September 2020 and was carried out by investigative teams from Spain, Portugal, Bulgaria, Italy, Lithuania, and Romania, coordinated by Eurojust and supported […]
Europol confirms $50,000 Qilin ransomware reward is fake
Europol has confirmed that a Telegram channel impersonating the agency and offering a $50,000 reward for information on two Qilin ransomware administrators is fake. The impostor later admitted it was created to troll researchers and journalists. “We were also surprised to see this story gaining traction,” Europol told GeekFeed on Monday. “The announcement didn’t come […]
New Phobos and 8base ransomware decryptor recover files for free
The Japanese police have released a Phobos and 8-Base ransomware decryptor that lets victims recover their files for free, with GeekFeed confirming that it successfully decrypts files. Phobos is a ransomware-as-a-service operation that launched in December 2018, enabling other threat actors to join as affiliates and utilize their encryption tool in attacks. In exchange, any […]