I often get asked whether law enforcement is making any headway in catching cybercriminals. Although it is a challenging task, a recent example of a big win for law enforcement deserves celebration.

Authorities from 40 countries, territories, and regions came together to assist INTERPOL with a recent global cybercrime initiative known as Operation HAECHI-V. The initiative took place between July and November of 2024, resulting in the arrest of 5,500 individuals and the seizure of over $400 million. The initiative culminated with “Korean and Beijing authorities jointly dismantl[ing] a widespread voice phishing syndicate responsible for financial losses totaling $1.1 billion and affecting over 1,900 victims.”

One scam outlined in an INTERPOL purple notice, warns consumers:

[O]f an emerging cryptocurrency fraud practice called the USDT Token Approval Scam that allows bad actors to drain victims’ wallets by leveraging romance-themed baits to trick them into buying popular Tether stablecoins (USDT tokens) and investing them. Once the scammers have gained their trust, the victims are provided with a phishing link claiming to allow them to set up their investment account….In reality, by clicking they authorize full access to the scammers, who can then transfer funds out of their wallet without the victim’s knowledge.

We love wins for law enforcement, and this win was significant, but it also informs consumers about how these schemes work. Pay attention to the techniques. This one included both phishing and vishing. Those techniques continue to be tried and true for international cyber criminals.