Belgian and Dutch authorities have arrested eight suspects in connection with a “phone phishing” gang that primarily operated out of the Netherlands with an aim to steal victims’ financial data and funds.
As part of the international operation, law enforcement agencies carried out 17 searches in different locations in Belgium and the Netherlands, Europol said. In addition, large amounts of cash, firearm, as well as electronic devices, luxury watches, and jewelry have been seized.
“Besides committing large-scale ‘phishing’ campaigns and trying to gain access to financial data by phone or online, the suspects also pretended to be police or banking staff and approached older victims at their doors,” the agency said.
The cybercrime operation involved sending phishing messages via email, SMS, and WhatsApp, urging recipients to click on a link that captured the credentials and other information.
In other instances, victims were approached by the criminals claiming to be calling from their bank under the pretext of detecting fraudulent activity with their accounts and that could help them address the problem. The vishing operation was powered by a network of call centers that were established in luxury residential towers and Airbnb homes.
The stolen money, per Europol, was used to book luxury holidays in Spain and buy expensive watches, jewelry, shoes, and designer clothing from brands like Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Rolex.
Victims have been believed to be spread across at least 10 different countries, with the scheme netting the group millions of dollars in illegal profit through phishing and bank help desk fraud.
The action is the result of an investigation that was commenced by Belgian authorities in 2022 and subsequently by the Dutch police the next year after it emerged that the organization was led from Rotterdam.
The Politie said four of the arrested suspects in the Netherlands, three men and a woman aged between 23 and 66, were from Zaltbommel, Almere, Amersfoort, and Rotterdam. It also noted that a fifth individual has been arrested in Belgium through an international arrest warrant.
“While the victims were left in misery, they spent all the victims’ money during parties in expensive clubs, dressed in designer clothes and expensive watches,” Jan van der Linden, who leads the Rotterdam police cybercrime team, said. “And as if that wasn’t bad enough, they also liked to share their luxurious extravagances on social media.”
