Spanish Police Dismantle Major Cybercrime Group

The Spanish police have announced the dismantling of a cybercriminal organization involved in various fraudulent schemes aimed at stealing and monetizing personal data. More than 4,000,000 people fell victim to these criminals.

According to law enforcement, officers conducted 16 searches and arrested 34 members of this criminal group. During the raids, authorities seized firearms, bladed weapons, four luxury cars, €80,000 in cash, and computers containing a database with information on four million individuals.

Wide Range of Fraudulent Activities

The police explained that the group’s “repertoire” was broad and diverse. For example, the arrested individuals carried out large-scale phishing campaigns via email and SMS, posing as delivery or energy supply companies. They also engaged in phone scams using the “son in trouble” scheme, which is well-known in Russia. In this scam, criminals called people and convinced them that their child was in trouble and urgently needed money to resolve the situation.

In other cases, the fraudsters exploited their positions at an unnamed international technology company to redirect goods to addresses controlled by their accomplices.

Investigation and Methods

The investigation into this group began in early 2023 after authorities received thousands of complaints describing the same fraudulent scheme. The criminals hacked into the networks of various financial institutions, stealing client data and using their access to deposit funds into clients’ accounts. They then contacted these clients, claiming that a computer error had resulted in an accidental loan, which now needed to be repaid by following specific instructions.

Victims who followed these instructions were directed to phishing websites disguised as legitimate banks, where they entered confidential information that was then sent to the criminals.

Profits and Money Laundering

The hackers primarily profited by reselling stolen data to other cybercriminals. According to investigators, they managed to “earn” about $3,200,000 through these activities. The group’s leaders funneled these funds into cryptocurrency investment platforms to conceal their tracks.