An international operation led by Germany’s Itzehoe prosecutor seized more than 100 servers and arrested seven suspects on 3 November, according to Europol and industry reporting. Authorities searched 17 locations. Investigators estimate losses exceeding €4 million and potential victims in more than 50 countries. The suspects were arrested with a view to extradition to Germany; the reports do not announce convictions.
The target allegedly supplied fraudulent trading websites from Cyprus and Israel and worked with call-centre networks in Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia. Investigators describe deceptive adverts promising quick gains from currencies, crypto or stocks, followed by sale of personal data to call-centre operators. Displayed fictitious profits encouraged larger deposits, while withdrawals were delayed before contact stopped.
The four-year investigation began with a German couple’s withdrawal complaint in 2022, with earlier action in 2022 and 2025. Europol provided analysis, database checks and operational coordination, including experts in Albania and Kosovo; Eurojust supported warrants, freezing orders and joint investigation teams. The operation targets alleged fraudulent infrastructure, and should not be described as a finding against licensed brokers generally.
Sources
This page is an original multilingual editorial summary. It attributes and links to the source report instead of republishing the third-party article.