In an international operation, law enforcement officers arrested ten suspects in the theft of more than $100 million in cryptocurrency via SIM-swapping.
8⃣ arrests for sim-swapping that targeted celebrities in the USA. The suspects are believed to have stolen over $100m in cryptocurrencies by gaining access to and taking control of apps and changing passwords. https://t.co/GxSLWOFF8u
— Europol (@Europol) February 10, 2021
According to Europol, two suspects were detained in Malta and Belgium, and later eight more members of the hacker group were arrested.
During 2020, hackers targeted “thousands of victims, including well-known bloggers, sports stars, musicians and their families.” Their main targets were residents of the United States.
The hackers gained access to users’ phones, enabling them to steal funds and personal data. The attackers also used compromised social media accounts to publish information or conduct correspondence on behalf of the victims.
The operation involved law enforcement agencies from the United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Malta and Canada.
Earlier, a Dublin resident was sentenced to prison for stealing $2 million in cryptocurrency via SIM-swapping.
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