Europol has played a crucial role in supporting the shutdown of a sophisticated criminal network that was responsible for facilitating large-scale online fraud. The operation, led by the Hanover Police Department and the Verden Public Prosecutor’s Office in Germany, with support from law enforcement authorities from Austria, Czechia, Finland, Poland, and the Netherlands, resulted in the seizure of over 50 servers, the securing of significant digital evidence, and the arrest of two key suspects.
The investigation into this criminal network began in the autumn of 2022 after reports of fraudulent phone calls in which scammers posed as bank employees to obtain sensitive information from victims. This stolen data was traced back to an online marketplace known as Manson Market, which served as a central hub for the trade of illegally obtained information.
Manson Market provided thousands of users with the ability to purchase stolen data categorized by region and account balance, allowing criminals to conduct targeted fraud more efficiently. Additionally, investigators discovered a network of fake online shops used to lure consumers into providing payment information through phishing scams. The stolen credentials were then sold on Manson Market, generating substantial profits for the operators of the marketplace.
Coordinated actions were taken on December 4th across Europe to crackdown on Manson Market. Searches were carried out in Germany and Austria, and infrastructure linked to the marketplace and fake shops was dismantled in Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, and Norway. Law enforcement authorities seized over 50 servers and secured more than 200 terabytes of digital evidence during these operations.
The two main suspects, a 27-year-old and a 37-year-old, were arrested in Germany and Austria under European arrest warrants and are currently in pretrial detention. Europol has been actively involved in this investigation for over two years, providing unique forensic capabilities that were essential in advancing the case. Europol’s data scientists worked to process and interpret vast amounts of data, uncovering crucial connections during the operation. Additionally, experts from the European Cybercrime Centre were deployed to Germany and Austria to assist national authorities in their enforcement actions.
Europol has also assisted French and Dutch law enforcement in the investigation and dismantling of Matrix, an encrypted chat service designed by criminals for criminal activities. This successful operation adds to Europol’s track record in combating cybercrime and dismantling criminal networks that operate online.