On Tuesday, an International Police investigation arrested eight people suspected of hacking into the phones of American celebrities. Europol reported Wednesday that it was also stealing a total of $ 100 million (about 82 million euros) in cryptocurrencies.
Suspects got into celebrity phones through sim swapping. In doing so, a hacker contacts the victim’s telecom provider and persuades the employee to transfer number 06 to the SIM card in his possession.
This technology allowed hackers to access funds, cryptocurrencies, personal information and contact details of victims. The criminals also gained access to their social media accounts. Then they pretended to be their victims and sent messages.
“The attacks of this criminal gang have targeted thousands of victims in 2020, including influential celebrities, athletes, musicians and their families,” Europol said in a statement.
The arrests were made after an international investigation that included Great Britain, the United States, Belgium, Malta and Canada.
The eight detainees are men between the ages of 18 and 26 from Great Britain. Earlier, two suspects were arrested from Malta and Belgium.
