$439 million worth of crypto seized
Interpol has dealt one of the biggest blows yet to international crypto crime.
Interpol has dealt one of the biggest blows yet to international crypto crime. In connection with Operation HAECHI VI, authorities seized a staggering $439 million in assets. This included freezing 400 digital wallets and 68,000 bank accounts linked directly to cross-border fraud and money laundering.
International cooperation is paying off
The operation, spanning 40 countries, targeted seven different types of crypto fraud. It covered classic investment scams as well as modern variants of money laundering via digital currencies.
The success underscores, according to Interpol, how important international cooperation among law enforcement is to dismantle coordinated and complex criminal networks.
Growing threat in the crypto world
The figures paint a worrying picture: by mid-year, more than $2.17 billion in cryptocurrency had already been stolen worldwide, topping last year's total loss.
Especially the number of wallet compromises and phishing attacks is rising sharply. Criminals made off with stolen private keys for a total of $1.71 billion.
Additionally, 132 phishing incidents caused another $410 million in losses.
A wake-up call to criminals
With Operation HAECHI VI, Interpol shows that digital fraudsters are not untouchable. Despite the anonymity and technical complexity of crypto transactions, international law enforcement can recover substantial sums and dismantle criminal infrastructure.
