Europol and Eurojust helped Austria and Albania dismantle an investment scam network with call centres in Tirana, Albania’s capital. According to investigators, victims were offered lucrative investment opportunities via social media and search engine advertisements, and operators persuaded them to transfer money ostensibly for investments on their behalf. The total loss is estimated at over €50 million.
Everything operated much like a legitimate business: teams of 6–8 operators, organised by language, team leaders, managers, salaries of around €800, and bonuses for successful scams. Victims who had already been defrauded could then be targeted again with promises of a ‘refund’; they were asked to open an account on a crypto platform and deposit €500.
During the operation on 17 April in Tirana, 10 people were arrested, 3 call centres and 9 private addresses were searched, and €891,735, 443 computers, 238 phones, 6 laptops, hard drives, and DVRs were seized for forensic analysis.
- Source: https://www.europol.europa.eu
