Authorities Shut Down Cybercrime-as-a-Service, Seize 40,000 SIM Cards

Law enforcement across Europe dismantled a cybercrime-as-a-service operation codenamed SIMCARTEL, arresting seven individuals and seizing more than 40,000 active SIM cards. The operation, conducted on 10 October 2025 in Latvia, also resulted in the confiscation of 1,200 SIM box devices, five servers, and the takedown of two websites offering the illegal service.

Authorities froze EUR 431,000 in bank accounts and USD 333,000 in cryptocurrency, with 26 searches carried out across multiple locations and four luxury vehicles seized. The criminal network supplied numbers registered to people in over 80 countries, which criminals rented to commit fraud and other offences such as phishing, smishing and fake accounts on social media and messaging platforms.

Investigators linked the service to more than 1,700 Austrian cyber fraud cases and 1,500 in Latvia, with total financial losses reported in Austria around EUR 4.5 million and EUR 420,000 in Latvia, and more than 49 million online accounts created via the illegal service. The operation involved cooperation among Austria, Estonia, Latvia, and Finland, with Europol and Eurojust providing support.