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Authorities Dismantle Cybercrime-as-a-Service Platform, Seize 40,000 Active SIM Cards

## International Law Enforcement Operation Dismantles Cybercrime Network

DBy Daniel BrooksOct 19, 20252 min read

International Law Enforcement Operation Dismantles Cybercrime Network

An international law enforcement operation successfully dismantled a significant cybercrime-as-a-service network responsible for facilitating numerous online fraud cases across Europe.

The operation, identified as SIMCARTEL, occurred on Thu, Oct 10, 2025, in Latvia. It resulted in five arrests, the confiscation of essential infrastructure, and the disruption of a complex online criminal marketplace.

Authorities conducted 26 searches at various locations, arresting five Latvian nationals suspected of operating the illicit platform.

Investigators seized five servers, 1,200 SIM-box devices, and over 40,000 active SIM cards utilized for the fraudulent service. Two associated websites, gogetsms[.]com and apisim[.]com , were taken over by law enforcement and replaced with notifications of their seizure.

The dismantled service facilitated the creation of more than 49 million fraudulent online accounts and was linked to over 3,200 known cyber fraud cases in Austria and Latvia alone.

The operation, identified as SIMCARTEL, occurred on Thu, Oct 10, 2025, in Latvia.
Daniel Brooks · Thehackingpost

Financial losses from these crimes exceeded EUR 4.5 million in Austria and an additional EUR 420,000 in Latvia. Authorities also froze EUR 431,000 in bank assets, USD 333,000 in cryptocurrency, and confiscated four luxury vehicles belonging to suspects.

The dismantled service provided access to phone numbers registered in over 80 countries, enabling clients to conceal their identities while engaging in crimes such as phishing, smishing, large-scale fraud, extortion, and child exploitation.

The platform facilitated the creation of fake social media, banking, and e-commerce accounts that appeared legitimate but were used for fraudulent activities.

The network's services supported various scams, including fraudulent second-hand marketplace listings, "daughter–son" WhatsApp scams, investment fraud schemes, fake bank websites, and impersonations of police officers targeting Russian-speaking victims. These crimes relied on the anonymity provided by the rented SIM-based numbers.

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The operation was coordinated by Europol and Eurojust, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies from Austria, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland.

Technical support from the Shadowserver Foundation assisted in dismantling the network’s infrastructure and securing digital evidence. Europol analysts conducted OSINT mapping of the platform’s online footprint and facilitated international data exchange to track financial and digital assets.

The joint action represents a significant success in Europe's fight against crime-as-a-service networks, targeting the infrastructure that enabled cybercriminals to operate under false identities and exploit victims globally.

Based on reporting by Cyber Security News.

AI transparency. This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence and published under human editorial oversight. AI systems can make mistakes. Read how we use AI (EU AI Act, Art. 50).
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