Interpol and South Korea lead operation, arresting over 5,500 cybercrime suspects
Operation HAECHI V, a global anti-cybercrime initiative led by INTERPOL and supported by 40 countries, resulted in over 5,500 arrests, the dismantling of major fraud networks, and the seizure of $400 million in assets.
A coordinated global effort involving law enforcement from 40 countries has resulted in over 5,500 arrests and the seizure of more than $400 million in virtual and fiat currencies during Operation HAECHI V (July–November 2024).
The operation, led by INTERPOL and financially supported by South Korea, targeted seven major types of cyber-enabled fraud, including voice phishing, romance scams, investment fraud, and business email compromise schemes.
In one significant success, Korean and Chinese authorities dismantled a voice phishing network that defrauded over 1,900 victims of 1,511 billion KRW ($1.1 billion). The syndicate, which impersonated law enforcement and used fake IDs, saw 27 members arrested, with 19 facing formal charges.
INTERPOL issued a Purple Notice during the operation to warn member countries of a new cryptocurrency scam targeting stablecoin users. Known as the USDT Token Approval Scam, fraudsters lured victims with romance-based schemes, directing them to buy Tether stablecoins through legitimate platforms. Victims were then tricked into granting scammers full access to their cryptocurrency wallets through phishing links, allowing unauthorized fund transfers.
Operation HAECHI V also achieved record-breaking results, solving 8,309 cases—nearly double those from the previous year—and blocking 1,023 virtual asset service provider (VASP) accounts, a threefold increase from 2023.
HAECHI V participating countries, territories and regions: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, Cayman Islands (UK), China, France, Ghana, Hong Kong (China), India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Liechtenstein, Macao (China), Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Timor Leste, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam.
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