OPERATION Alice, an international law enforcement operation, shut down what authorities described as one of the largest dark web scams, uncovering over 373,000 fake sites luring users seeking child sexual abuse material. The operation, first investigated in Germany in 2021, centred on the platform “Alice with Violence CP” and was allegedly run by a single individual controlling hundreds of thousands of fraudulent marketplaces for illicit material and cybercrime services, according to Europol.
From 9 to 19 March 2026, law enforcement from 23 countries targeted the operator, with 440 customers identified worldwide and ongoing actions against more than 100 individuals. Authorities have identified one operator based in the People’s Republic of China, shut down over 373,000 dark web sites, seized 105 servers, and confiscated computers, mobile phones and other devices.
Over nearly five years, German authorities uncovered the operator running more than 373,000 sites, including 90,000 offering fraudulent CSAM “packages” for Bitcoin, with prices ranging from €17 to €215, none of which were delivered, according to Europol. Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle described the operation as a clear message that criminals will be held accountable.