An international crackdown on cybercrime has dismantled three criminal networks accused of defrauding millions of credit card holders worldwide, causing an estimated 300 million euros ($344.73 million) in losses and leading to the arrest of 18 suspects, Europol said on Wednesday.
Among those arrested, according to Eurojust, were five executive officials from four German payment service providers allegedly involved in the scheme.
The operation, called “Chargeback,” also revealed that the networks attempted to steal more than 750 million euros ($861.9 million) in total.
The suspects allegedly created around 19 million fake online subscriptions between 2016 and 2021, offering pornography, dating, and streaming services. Charges were kept low - about 50 euros ($57.5) per month - and listed with obscure descriptions to avoid detection. Investigators said the criminals exploited four major German payment service providers, with six executives and compliance officers accused of colluding with the networks.
To conceal their activities, the groups used shell companies registered mainly in the U.K. and Cyprus, often obtained through crime-as-a-service providers offering fake directors and KYC documents, normally used by banks to verify clients.
The coordinated action on November 4, 2025, involved more than 60 house searches. German authorities executed five arrests within the country, while investigators in the U.S., Canada, Singapore, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands carried out additional measures.
Authorities seized documents, data carriers, and communication devices. Eurojust said that investigators also seized cryptocurrencies, luxury vehicles, mobile phones, laptops, and various communication tools. German officials secured assets worth over 35 million euros ($40.22 million) in Germany and Luxembourg, with Europol providing cross-border support.
Europol Executive Director Catherine De Bolle said the operation showed the value of international coordination. “By leveraging our analytical capabilities and facilitating cross-border coordination, we have been able to bring down the networks defrauding millions of credit card users worldwide,” she said.
EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner also highlighted the role of cross-border cooperation and the need to strengthen efforts against serious and organized crime. He also stressed that “over 85 percent of investigations rely on online evidence, and without this data, the fight against crime cannot be effective.”
Authorities said Operation Chargeback followed years of investigations and more than 90 legal assistance requests to 30 countries, coordinated by Europol and Eurojust.
