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Source: Europol
The investigation began in the autumn of 2022, following reports of fraudulent phone calls in which scammers impersonated bank employees to extract sensitive information, such as addresses and security answers, from victims. The stolen data was traced back to a specialised online marketplace that operated as a central hub for the trade of illegally obtained information.A central hub for cyber…
Source: Eurojust
The OCG had allegedly been importing illicit drugs from the Netherlands to the Rhine-Main area since 2022, using several locations such as cafés as front stores for its illegal activities. The drugs were transported to these locations in cars with hidden compartments for further distribution by couriers to Serbia, but also other EU Member States and third countries.
Among the arrested suspects are the alleged ringleaders, couriers and street dealers. The Serbian part of the network operated from a café in Sremska Mitrovica. Investigations into the OCG are ongoing and an adequate estimate of the proceeds cannot be given at this stage.
Investigations into the OCG were initiated in Serbia also in 2022, showing links between the two countries involved in today’s operation. Eurojust assisted with the financing and setting up of the JIT in August this year and organised four coordination meetings to prepare for the joint actions in Germany and Serbia.
Furthermore, the Agency supported the execution of requests for Mutual Legal Assistance between Serbia and Germany. Serbia is one of the 12 countries outside the EU that have a Liaison Prosecutor based at Eurojust in The Hague*. During the action day, close to 400 police officers were deployed in Germany and Serbia.
Furthermore, six kilos of cocaine, several vehicles, weapons, ammunition and luxury watches were seized, as well as at least EUR 60 000 in cash, a device to detect intercepted communications and various mobile phones and laptops.
The actions of this week were carried out at the request of and by the following authorities:
*The other countries outside the EU with Liaison Prosecutors at Eurojust are: Albania, Georgia, Iceland, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States
Source: National Security Agency NSA
Feelings of pride, accomplishment, and excitement came over West Point cadets in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on Nov. 15, 2024 as The Honorable Harry Coker Jr., National Cyber Director, stepped to the podium.
“Good afternoon and welcome to the White House” said Coker, kicking off an event to celebrate cadets from the U.S. Military Academy (USMA) for winning the National Security Agency’s (NSA) 2024 Cyber Exercise (NCX). The NCX is a three-day cyber competition that showcases the talent of future military and civilian leaders.
The ceremony ended with Director Coker calling out the individual teams that made up USMA’s NCX contingent, each named after the academy colors of black, gold and grey, that won different events during the competition. Highlighting the critical skill and team development also provided from the West Point teachers, Director Coker shared that the NCX made him humbled and enthusiastic for the future.
After the ceremony was over, the cadets and participants were able to take tours of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building led by White House interns. Following the tour, there was a reception held on the patio overlooking the West Wing where cookies with the White House logo were served to top off the 2024 NCX with a sweet seal of approval.
Visit here for more information on the NCX. If you are an aspiring academy cadet, midshipman, or attending one of the 6 Senior Military Colleges and you would like to participate in NCX, contact the respective cyber departments to learn more about their cybersecurity programs and how to participate.
Source: NATO
On Wednesday 4 December 2024, NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, met with the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, at NATO Headquarters in Brussels.
The Secretary General thanked Montenegro for promoting peace, stability and security in the Western Balkans and its contributions to NATO missions and operations. They discussed the importance of keeping NATO strong and stepping up support for Ukraine.
Source: Europol
The signatures of these two legal instruments put into practice the Working Arrangement between Chile and Europol, which is in force since 1 May 2021. The SIENA Memorandum of Understanding will allow Chile to establish a connection with the Agency, permitting a secure exchange of sensitive information. A SIENA connection would enable law enforcement authorities from Chile to be connected…
Source: NATO
NATO Foreign Ministers wrapped up two days of meetings in Brussels on Wednesday (December 4) addressing Russia’s escalating campaign of hostile actions in NATO countries.
At their meeting on Wednesday, Allies considered a set of measures to counter Russia’s actions against NATO and individual Allies. Secretary General Mark Rutte said that “both Russia and China have tried to destabilise our countries and divide our societies with acts of sabotage, cyber-attacks, and energy blackmail”. He noted that Ministers agreed a set of measures to counter Russia’s hostile and cyber activities, including enhanced intelligence exchange, more exercises, better protection of critical infrastructure, improved cyber defence, and tougher action against Russia’s “shadow fleet” of oil exporting ships. He further stressed that NATO “will work closely together with the EU on these issues”. Mr. Rutte underscored that the increasing alignment of Russia, China, North Korea and Iran highlights the global nature of the threats we face, including the escalating dangers of the ongoing war in Ukraine. He noted that in return for troops and weapons, Russia is providing North Korea with support for its missile and nuclear programmes. “These developments could destabilise the Korean Peninsula and even threaten the United States. So Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine threatens us all”, he said.
During the two-day meeting NATO Allies also met with His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan to discuss the situation in the Middle East and the importance of NATO cooperating even more closely with its partners in the region. The Secretary General thanked the King of Jordan for his personal leadership and support to the Alliance and noted that NATO will open a Liaison Office in Amman soon to further deepen these ties.
NATO Ministers also met with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and with Kaja Kallas, the new EU High Representative, in the NATO-Ukraine Council. They discussed Ukraine’s most urgent needs, as well as what more Allies can do to provide critical ammunition and air defences, as Russia steps up its attacks and expands the war with the aid of North Korean troops and weapons. Mr Rutte noted that continued support for Ukraine is a priority, ensuring that, when the time comes, Ukraine can negotiate peace from a position of strength. He further highlighted how NATO is delivering on its commitments, including through a financial pledge and the new command in Wiesbaden, NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine. The Secretary General stressed that “we must do more than just keep Ukraine in the fight. We must provide enough support to change the trajectory of this conflict once and for all”.
Source: NATO
Meeting in Brussels on Tuesday (December 3), NATO Foreign Ministers welcomed His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan for a discussion on NATO’s southern neighbourhood and how best to work together to address common challenges to security. Jordan is one of NATO’s most important partners in the Middle East and this was the first time that King Abdullah II participated in a meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers. Secretary General Mark Rutte noted that NATO will soon open a Liaison Office in Amman as an important step “in making our deep relationships in the region even stronger”.
Ministers also met in the NATO-Ukraine Council with Minister Andrii Sybiha of Ukraine and the new EU High Representative Kaja Kallas. Secretary General Rutte underscored how Ukraine has resisted Russian aggression, noting that the “situation on the battlefield is difficult, and we have to do everything we can to get more military aid into Ukraine”. He said that Putin “is pressing on, trying to take more territory. Because he thinks he can break Ukraine’s resolve and ours. But he is wrong”. Mr. Rutte condemned Russia’s recent launch of an experimental intermediate range ballistic missile and noted that deploying this capability “will neither change the course of the conflict nor deter NATO Allies from supporting Ukraine”.
The Secretary General said that NATO Allies are stepping up with more military support for Ukraine, a new command to coordinate assistance and training, and a financial pledge of 40 billion euros as a minimum baseline for this year. He said that it is necessary now to make sure that military aid goes to Ukraine, so that if Ukraine decides to “enter into talks with the Russians one day, they will do this from a position of strength”.
On Wednesday, NATO Foreign Ministers will address Russia’s hostile actions in NATO countries, including acts of sabotage, cyber-attacks, and energy blackmail. In previewing the meeting during a press conference, the Secretary General said that “none of these actions will deter us from supporting Ukraine or making our own defences stronger”.
Source: NATO
On Wednesday, 4 December 2024, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will meet with the President of Montenegro, Mr Jakov Milatović, at NATO Headquarters, in Brussels.
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Source: Europol
MATRIX, a messaging service made by criminals for criminals, was first discovered by Dutch authorities on the phone of a criminal convicted for the murder of a Dutch journalist in 2021. A large-scale investigation into the messaging service was initiated. It was soon clear that the infrastructure of this platform was technically more complex than previous platforms such as Sky…
Source: Interpol (news and events)
LYON, France – INTERPOL has launched a campaign to raise awareness on the growing threat of cyber and financial crimes against vulnerable individuals and organizations.
The Think Twice campaign, which includes a series of short videos, focuses on five rising online threats: ransomware attacks, malware attacks, phishing, generative AI scams, and romance baiting.
These sophisticated scams have seen a significant increase in recent years, with ransomware attacks up by 70 per cent, and malware attacks rising by over 30 per cent in the past year alone, with some 20 per cent of employees unknowingly running malware.
With phishing attacks evolving and becoming harder to detect, criminals are also exploiting technology. For example, they are using generative AI to create ultra-realistic human avatars, deceiving thousands worldwide through voice, image, and text manipulation.
Romance baiting scams are on the rise too, with cybercriminals using fake online profiles to build relationships and gain trust, before asking for money.
Think Twice calls for vigilance in the digital world, emphasizing the importance of pausing for thought, promoting wise decisions, and empowering cybersecurity awareness.
INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said:
“As the digital landscape continues to evolve, we see online fraud and scams growing in sophistication and scale, posing a threat to individuals and organizations alike.
“Cybersecurity is a joint responsibility and through proactive steps, we can help build a more secure, and safer, digital world for everyone.”
The two-week awareness campaign (3-19 December) will run primarily through social media channels.
The campaign urges individuals to use in-person verification and to consider their interactions with digital content, especially when encountering suspicious links or information.
The objective is to empower users to make informed and careful choices online, reducing the risks associated with threats like phishing, malware, and online scams.
The checklist to mitigate risks includes:
Note to Editors
Think Twice highlights the top threats identified by INTERPOL, based on data from member countries, private-sector partners under the Gateway framework, national cybersecurity agencies and online information-sharing groups.
The campaign is supported with funds from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, through Projects AFJOC and ASPJOC which aim to reinforce cybersecurity in Africa as well as in Asia and the South Pacific; and from the Government of Japan through Project Rescue, strengthening law enforcement capabilities across South and Southeast Asia against cyber-enabled fraud.
For more information, please visit: https://www.interpol.int/Crimes/Cybercrime/Awareness-campaigns