Interpol announced a worldwide crackdown on social engineering fraud. In a two-month operation, codenamed First Light 2022, law enforcement agencies raided mor than 1,700 locations worldwide, identified 3,000 suspects and seized $50 million worth of illicit funds. In total 76 countries took part in the clampdown. Police in participating countries raided national call centers suspected of telecommunications or scamming fraud, particularly telephone deception, romance scams, e-mail deception, and connected financial crime.
Although results are still coming in, preliminary figures reached so far include:
- 1,770 locations raided worldwide
- Some 3,000 suspects identified
- Some 2,000 operators, fraudsters, and money launderers arrested
- Some 4,000 bank accounts frozen
- Some USD 50 million worth of illicit funds intercepted
Social engineering fraud refers to scams that manipulate or trick people into giving out confidential or personal information which can then be used for criminal financial gain.
As part of operation First Light 2022, the Singapore Police Force arrested eight suspects linked to Ponzi-like job scams. Scammers would offer high-paying online marketing jobs via social media and messaging systems where victims would initially make small earnings, and subsequently be required to recruit more members to earn commissions.
A Chinese national wanted in connection with a Ponzi scheme estimated to have defrauded nearly 24,000 victims out of EUR 34 million was arrested in Papua New Guinea and returned to China via Singapore.
