A Europe-wide enforcement effort has traced more than
EUR 47 million in cryptocurrency flowing through accounts tied to illegal
streaming and digital piracy operations, marking one of the largest financial
mapping exercises yet against online IP crime.
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Europol Maps Crypto Funding Behind Piracy Sites
Europol, supported by the EU Intellectual Property
Office and Spain’s National Police, coordinated a five-day operation in
mid-November known as the Intellectual Property Crime Cyber-Patrol Week.
Investigators gathered in Alicante to track infringement patterns, using
advanced open-source intelligence tools to pinpoint sites suspected of
facilitating illegal content distribution.
According to the agency, the team identified 69 sites with a combined estimated
annual traffic of nearly 12 million visitors. They also referred 25 illicit
IPTV services to crypto service providers for disruption and opened further
investigations into 44 more targets.
While mapping financial flows,
investigators traced cryptocurrency worth about USD 55 million—more than EUR 47
million—moving through accounts tied to suspected operators.
The operation highlighted a clear shift in how digital
piracy networks accept payments. Investigators observed that many operators no
longer rely on traditional payment providers, instead adopting cryptocurrency
as their primary channel. To counter this, investigators used crypto to buy
services directly from suspected platforms.
Keep reading: Spain “Dismantled” €460 Million Crypto Fraud Ring, Arrested 5
This allowed them to identify the operators behind the
wallets and report them to exchanges and specialist forensic firms. Officials
say this tactic has become an effective way to disrupt illicit revenue flows.
Cross-Border Collaboration Drives Enforcement Strategy
The Cyber-Patrol Week also served as a forum for
information exchange and coordinated enforcement planning. More than 15
countries and private-sector organizations reportedly contributed to the effort, sharing
tools, intelligence and operational expertise.
Authorities produced intelligence packages aimed at
mapping active threats and improving detection of emerging schemes. The
operation reinforced the EU’s broader strategy of combining technological
innovation with international cooperation to tackle cross-border digital crime.
The report followed another crackdown in the region.
Last month, the European authorities shut down more than 1,400 fraudulent online trading platforms targeting retail investors.
German investigators reportedly coordinated the
operation with BaFin, Europol, and Bulgarian authorities, uncovering networks
of fake brokers who lured users into investing significant sums with promises
of high returns.
The operation revealed that victims were often
directed to brokers operating from overseas call centers. These brokers
persuaded investors to commit large amounts of money, claiming profits from
trading forex, cryptocurrencies, and stocks. Officials said many investors only discovered months
later that their funds were never invested.
This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.
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