Code name: Haechi III.
A major operation led by Interpol led to the arrest of nearly a thousand suspects, and made it possible to intercept $ 130 million in assets from fraud committed online, the institution announced on Thursday.
Voice phishing, romance scams, "sextortion", investment fraud, compromise of professional emails, laundering linked to illegal online gambling: Operation Haechi III lasted more than five months, from June 28 to November 23 , in around thirty countries, explains in a press release Interpol, whose headquarters are located in Lyon.
In total, the operation resulted in the arrest of 975 people and the resolution of more than 1,600 cases.
Nearly 2,800 virtual deposit and asset accounts have been blocked in connection with these financial crime cases.
Two Koreans allegedly embezzled 28 million euros
Investigations launched under Haechi III generated the publication of 95 Interpol notices and diffusions and identified new emerging trends in online crime, in particular new variations in identity theft, scams sentimental or investment, or cases of "sextortion".
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Investigators have also noted a significant increase in fraud on instant messaging applications that encourage payment via cryptocurrency wallets.
In one of the investigations, two Koreans under Interpol red notices, suspected of having embezzled 28 million euros from 2,000 victims thanks to a Ponzi scheme, were arrested in Greece and Italy.
Austrian and Indian investigators have identified a group of cybercriminals posing as Interpol agents, and persuading victims to transfer money through financial institutions, cryptocurrency platforms and dematerialized gift cards.
