Police bust celebrity SIM-Swapping gang

Over $100 million in cryptocurrencies from celebrities and influencers has been stole by ten hackers in a rash of SIM-Swapping attacks. These have been apprehended in an international swoop co-ordinated Europol.

A total of eight criminals have been arrested on 9 February as a result of an international investigation into the series of attacks targeting high-profile victims in the United States. These arrests follow earlier ones in Malta and Belgium of other members belonging to the same criminal network.

The attacks orchestrated by the gang targeted thousands of victims throughout 2020, including famous internet influencers, sport stars, musicians and their families. The criminals worked together to access the victims’ phone numbers and take control of their apps or accounts by changing the passwords.

This enabled them to steal money, cryptocurrencies and personal information, including contacts synced with online accounts. They also hijacked social media accounts to post content and send messages masquerading as the victim.