#romance scams

The post Interpol Crypto Crackdown Uncovers $122.5M Laundering Scheme appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. A 20-year-old’s cryptocurrency wallet quietly processed more than $122.5 million in just ten months. The money didn’t come from trading or investing — it was the laundered proceeds of romance scams, funneled through multiple blockchains to make the trail disappear. Thai police made two arrests in the case, and it became one of the most striking examples to emerge from INTERPOL’s sweeping crypto crackdown known as Operation First Light 2026. Key takeaways INTERPOL’s Operation First Light 2026 ran from January 15 to April 30, 2026, spanning 97 countries and territories. The operation resulted in 5,811 arrests, the interception of approximately $293 million in illicit assets, and the identification of more than 142,000 victims. A single suspect in Thailand, aged 20, controlled a crypto wallet that processed over $122.5 million in romance-scam proceeds over 10 months. Criminals used c

The post Global INTERPOL Crackdown Exposes Crypto Laundering Behind Romance Scams appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Thai police uncovered a crypto-laundering scheme in which one suspect’s wallet processed more than $122.5 million in proceeds from romance scams, as part of a global INTERPOL sweep.  The international police organization’s Operation First Light 2026 ran from January 15 to April 30. It targeted social engineering scams and the money laundering that sustains them. INTERPOL Says Global Fraud Crackdown Uncovered 142,000 Victims According to the news release, the global anti-fraud operation spanned 97 countries and territories, resulting in the arrest of 5,811 suspects and the interception of approximately $293 million in illicit proceeds. Investigators identified more than 142,000 victims and froze 31,014 bank accounts linked to fraudulent activity. The operation also led to the resolution of 23,715 cases, while authorities issued 99 notices and diffusions. INTERPOL said t