Overview
- Investigators searched locations and made arrests across Germany, Italy, Canada, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, the United States and Cyprus.
- Authorities allege stolen credit-card data from victims in 193 countries was used to create more than 19 million bogus subscriptions on professionally run websites.
- Losses are estimated in the mid–three-digit millions of euros, with BILD reporting the damage exceeds €300 million.
- Prosecutors suspect four major German payment-service providers were compromised, and BILD reports six German executives are accused of knowingly facilitating access.
- The operation, referred to by BILD as Operation Chargeback and involving the BKA, the Koblenz cybercrime office and Europol, yielded seized devices and frozen assets, with further details expected at a Wednesday press conference.