September 19, 2024 at 12:00PM
An international law enforcement operation known as “Operation Kaerb” dismantled a criminal network using the iServer phishing platform to unlock stolen mobile phones, affecting 483,000 victims globally. Coordinated by Europol and Group-IB, the operation led to 17 arrests and the seizure of 921 items. This marked the first collaboration between Europol and Ameripol on cybercrime.
After reviewing the meeting notes, the key takeaways from the joint law enforcement operation, codenamed “Operation Kaerb,” include:
– A collaboration between law enforcement and judicial authorities from Spain, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru resulted in the dismantling of an international criminal network that used the iServer automated phishing-as-a-service platform.
– The operation was initiated after Europol received information from cybersecurity firm Group-IB, which contributed to identifying the victims and the criminals behind the phishing network.
– The criminal network primarily targeted Spanish-speaking individuals from Europe, North America, and South America, with a total of 483,000 victims globally.
– Coordinated action week from September 10 to 17 resulted in the arrest of 17 suspects across multiple countries, along with the seizure of 921 items, including mobile phones, electronic devices, vehicles, and weapons.
– The administrator of the iServer platform, an Argentinian national, was arrested after running the service for five years.
– The iServer platform provided phishing-as-a-service to low-skilled criminals known as “unlockers,” who utilized it to steal credentials from victims via phishing emails, SMS, or voice calls.
– Over 2,000 unlockers were registered on the platform, and the criminal network had targeted over 1.2 million phones globally, resulting in approximately 483,000 victims in total.
– Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) and the Specialised Cybercrime Centre of Ameripol coordinated the international operation.
These takeaways summarize the key details of “Operation Kaerb,” showcasing its significant impact in disrupting the criminal network’s activities and the collaboration between international law enforcement and cybersecurity organizations.