Authorities targeted an unnamed company they allege supplied fraudulent trading websites to criminal groups, with suspected call-center clients in Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia.
Authorities provisionally arrested 7 suspects and seized more than 100 servers on 3 November 2026 in an operation targeting an alleged supplier of fraudulent investment websites. German authorities said numerous fraudulent websites were also shut down.
The investigation began with a German couple’s complaint in 2022 after they invested their savings through an online platform and could not withdraw their supposed profits. Evidence from later searches led investigators to an unnamed company based in Cyprus and Israel, which they allege supplied fraudulent websites and money-laundering networks to criminal groups.
Eurojust, which supports judicial cooperation, estimates losses from the scheme at more than EUR 4 million. Investigators linked call-center operators to potential victims in at least 50 countries, BleepingComputer said; that figure describes their geographic reach, not a confirmed victim count.
Authorities identified suspected clients of the company who they believe operated call centers in Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia. BleepingComputer said deceptive advertisements directed people to fraudulent platforms that collected their personal data, which was then sold to groups running call centers. Operators contacted those people with supposed investment opportunities.
According to authorities, people were encouraged to transfer small sums and were shown fictitious profits to make the platforms look legitimate. Supposed brokers then pressured them to transfer more. When investors asked to withdraw their money, the operators stalled and eventually disappeared, leaving investors without their money, authorities said.
German authorities said the operation took place in Israel, Albania, Kosovo, Cyprus, North Macedonia and Finland. Authorities searched 17 locations, including a call center in Kosovo, and seized other evidence and assets. Seven suspects were provisionally arrested under European Arrest Warrants, with their surrender or extradition to Germany sought.
The list describes smartphones more explicitly while retaining many groups covered by the 2018 rules.
The cybercrime department of the Itzehoe Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Cybertrading Fraud investigation group at the Schleswig-Holstein State Criminal Investigation Office lead the German investigation. Eurojust coordinated judicial actions and supported the execution of European Investigation Orders, European Arrest Warrants and freezing orders, while Europol analyzed and cross-checked data and sent experts to Albania and Kosovo to assist with digital forensic work.
German authorities said an initial action in September 2022 and further searches in May 2025 in Israel, Albania, the UK and Cyprus produced evidence; analysis of the later material pointed to the alleged supplier. The investigation continues, with investigators focusing on reviewing and analyzing the electronic evidence.
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