Europol and Latvian Authorities Dismantle SIM Card Fraud Network

Europol, in collaboration with Latvian anti-terror units, has dismantled a SIM card fraud operation in Latvia. According to Foresight News, the raid resulted in the seizure of 1,200 SIM box devices and 40,000 active SIM cards, capable of connecting to 80 countries simultaneously. The group operated websites Gogetsms and Apisim, providing on-demand rental of overseas phone numbers for activities such as phishing, bank fraud, investment scams, extortion, and human trafficking. The network has been linked to at least 3,200 fraud cases in Austria and Latvia, with losses amounting to $5.8 million. Authorities also confiscated four luxury cars, froze $470,000 in bank accounts, and seized $290,000 in cryptocurrency. Despite being run by only seven individuals, the operation facilitated the creation of 49 million fake accounts.