Spanish police have arrested dozens of people suspected of being involved in serious organized crime gangs that are said to have made more than €700,000 ($767,000) from phishing victims.
Among the 40 people arrested by law enforcement are two hackers and 15 suspected members of the “Trinitarios” group, accused of gang affiliation, bank fraud and document forgery. , was charged with identity theft and money laundering.
The group was allegedly funded primarily through phishing and bank fraud, and was used to purchase drugs and weapons, pay legal fees for members in prison, and send money directly to members in prison. police claim.
Spanish police action details: Spanish police uncover €5 million phishing gang.
Suspect hackers were sending victims SMS phishing messages purporting to come from their own bank, claiming security issues requiring them to click on malicious links.
Following the link, the victim was taken to a spoofed bank login page, where they entered their login information. Hackers monitored these actions in real time via their phishing panels and soon used logins to access real accounts, request loans, and link cards to virtual wallets on mobile phones.
Cybercriminals apparently used these card details to buy cryptocurrency, exchange it for fiat currency, and put it in a “common box” for later use.
The group also monetizes hijacked bank details by instructing large money mule networks to “cash” at ATMs or receive funds via bank transfer, as well as point-of-sale Made a fake purchase through a fictitious online cosmetics company via a (POS) terminal.
Some of the money was transferred abroad and was also used to buy property in the Dominican Republic, police said.
During the operation, 13 raids were conducted in Madrid, Seville, and Guadalajara, uncovering a list of 300,000 phishing victims and €5,000 in cash, computer equipment, and unlocking devices.
