Uncovering a Major Financial Scam: Investigators Manage to Break Up a Professionally Operated Fraud and Money Laundering Operation
On September 16, investigators from Essen Police made a significant breakthrough against a fraud and money laundering network in Germany. The network, suspected of crimes committed between December 2022 and November 2024, has been under investigation by the Criminal Police for some time.
The investigations continue into the background, further participants, and the money trails of the network. On Tuesday morning, a 28-year-old main suspect was arrested in Mülheim an der Ruhr, believed to be one of the leaders of the group. The name of the 27-year-old woman from Sierra Leone who was provisionally arrested in Mülheim an der Ruhr has not been disclosed.
The fraudulent activities mainly involved cybercrime, such as 'love scamming', 'CEO fraud', and 'man-in-the-middle attacks'. The aim of the group was to provide bank connections for other criminals to transfer and conceal funds from these fraudulent activities. During the searches in Mülheim an der Ruhr, a Mercedes C180 was seized, and several thousand euros in cash were also seized.
In Bochum and Offenbach am Main, searches targeted a 26-year-old and a 36-year-old from Cameroon, but they were both released after the police measures were completed. The suspects in Bochum and Offenbach am Main were not identified as main culprits or leaders of the group.
Investigators found that in dozens of cases, bank accounts were opened using fake or stolen IDs. Dozens of criminal offenses are suspected, resulting in a minimum of €1 million in damages. The searches conducted in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Bochum, and Offenbach am Main are part of the ongoing investigation against the fraud and money laundering network.
No further arrests were made in Bochum and Offenbach am Main. The police operation is a testament to the relentless efforts of the German authorities in combating cybercrime and financial fraud. The investigation is ongoing, and further updates are expected in due course.
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