WIESBADEN – In a major international operation against online fraud and money laundering networks, German authorities announced the arrest of 18 suspects linked to a massive financial scam spanning multiple countries.
According to Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and prosecutors, between 2016 and 2021, the group allegedly used stolen credit card details of 4.3 million individuals from 193 countries, causing total damages exceeding €300 million.
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Investigators said the criminals ran fake subscription websites for streaming, dating, and entertainment services to siphon funds. They also compromised four major German payment service providers to process fraudulent transactions, though the companies were not identified.
In a coordinated international raid on Tuesday, authorities conducted searches in Germany, Italy, Canada, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, the US, and Cyprus. Prosecutors said 44 suspects are under investigation, including network members, payment firm employees, and crime-as-a-service providers believed to have supported the scheme.
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