E-commerce fraud: 76 arrested in international action led by Europol

The eCommerce Action 2017, a joint law enforcement operation which took place in 26 countries from 6 to 16 June 2017, resulted in the arrest of 76 professional fraudsters and members of internet based criminal networks suspected of online fraud activities.

The suspects were responsible for more than 20 000 fraudulent transactions with compromised credit cards, with an estimated value exceeding EUR 5 million. They were found using information on the delivery of their packages from online shops. Other charges include identity fraud and various forms of cybercrime.

Belgium took part in this operation coordinated by Europol. Because of payment card fraud, the European sector is said to suffer substantial losses, exceeding EUR 1 billion annually.