Interpol traces $122.5 million crypto wallet linked to romance scams
Business
Interpol just tracked down a crypto wallet that received over $122.5 million from online romance scams in just 10 months. The money was laundered using cross-chain token swaps, making it tricky to follow.
Thai police arrested two people tied to the operation during Operation First Light 2026, a massive crackdown on social engineering scams across 97 countries.
Global effort arrests 5,811 recovers $293 million
This global effort led to 5,811 arrests and helped recover $293 million in stolen funds.
Authorities froze 31,014 bank accounts and looked into 152,808 cases.
They even deported 22 suspects from Palau for their involvement in fraud operations involving cryptocurrency and online gambling, showing how international teamwork is key to fighting these high-tech scams.