Spain
Spain arrests 34 suspects linked to Black Axe cyber crime
Authorities in Spain have arrested 34 individuals allegedly part of a criminal network involved in cyber fraud and believed to be connected to the Black Axe group responsible for illicit activities across Europe. The operation was carried out with the help of the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office and the support of Europol. During searches […]
Spain arrests teen who stole 64 million personal data records
The National Police in Spain have arrested a suspected 19-year-old hacker in Barcelona, for allegedly stealing and attempting to sell 64 million records obtained from breaches at nine companies. The teen now faces charges related to involvement in cybercrime, unauthorized access and disclosure of private data, and privacy violations. “The cybercriminal accessed nine different companies […]
Hacker leaks Telefónica data allegedly stolen in a new breach
A hacker is threatening to leak 106GB of data allegedly stolen from Spanish telecommunications company Telefónica in a breach that the company did not acknowledge. The threat actor has leaked a 2.6GB archive that unpacks into five gigabytes of data with a little over 20,000 files to prove that the breach occurred. The breach allegedly […]
Police dismantles investment fraud ring stealing €10 million
The Spanish police have dismantled a large-scale investment fraud operation that caused cumulative damages exceeding $11.8 million (€10 million). During simultaneous raids in Barcelona, Madrid, Mallorca, and Alicante, coordinated by the Mossos d’Esquadra, Civil Guard, and the National Police, 21 individuals were arrested. Along with the arrests, the police agents also confiscated seven luxury vehicles […]
Spain arrests hackers who targeted politicians and journalists
The Spanish police have arrested two individuals in the province of Las Palmas for their alleged involvement in cybercriminal activity, including data theft from the country’s government. The duo has been described as a “serious threat to national security” and focused their attacks on high-ranking state officials as well as journalists. They leaked samples of […]
Europol helps disrupt $540 million crypto investment fraud ring
Spanish authorities have arrested five individuals in Madrid and the Canary Islands, suspected of laundering $540 million (€460 million) from illegal cryptocurrency investment schemes and defrauding more than 5,000 victims. The law enforcement operation was supported and coordinated by Europol and investigators from Estonia, France, and the U.S. (Homeland Security Investigations – HSI). The investigation into […]
Police arrests 20 suspects for distributing child sexual abuse content
Law enforcement authorities from over a dozen countries have arrested 20 suspects in an international operation targeting the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material. Starting in late 2024, the Spanish National Police discovered multiple instant messaging groups dedicated to the circulation of child sexual exploitation images and alerted authorities in other countries through […]
Six arrested for AI-powered investment scams that stole $20 million
Spain’s police arrested six individuals behind a large-scale cryptocurrency investment scam that used AI tools to generate deepfake ads featuring popular public figures to lure people. The scam was very successful, defrauding 19 million Euros ($20.9M) from 208 victims worldwide. The police operation, codenamed “COINBLACK – WENDMINE,” started two years ago following the submission of […]
Sky ECC encrypted service distributors arrested in Spain, Netherlands
Four distributors of the encrypted communications service Sky ECC, used extensively by criminals, were arrested in Spain and the Netherlands. According to an announcement by the Spanish police, the two suspects arrested in the country were the leading global distributors of the service, generating over €13.5 million ($14M) in profits. Investigation into the communications service, […]
Spain arrests suspected hacker of US and Spanish military agencies
The Spanish police have arrested a suspected hacker in Alicante for allegedly conducting 40 cyberattacks targeting critical public and private organizations, including the Guardia Civil, the Ministry of Defense, NATO, the US Army, and various universities. Spanish media reports that the suspect was brought before a court and subsequently released after having his passport confiscated to prevent him […]