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Europol on Friday announced a significant breakthrough against a large-scale international cybercrime network operating under the Cybercrime-as-a-Service (CaaS) model. The network managed an advanced SIM farm and digital identity fraud platform, which facilitated crimes such as phishing, investment fraud, smishing, and identity concealment across multiple countries.
The coordinated law enforcement effort, dubbed Operation SIMCARTEL, involved 26 targeted searches resulting in the arrest of seven suspects, including five Latvian nationals. Authorities seized 1,200 SIM box devices containing 40,000 active SIM cards, dismantled five servers, and took over two websites — GoGetSMS[.]com and APISIM[.]com — which have now been replaced with official seizure notices.
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During the operation, four luxury vehicles were confiscated, while investigators froze €431,000 (approximately ₹4.2 crore) in bank accounts and €266,000 (₹2.4 crore) in cryptocurrency wallets. The joint action involved agencies from Austria, Estonia, Finland, and Latvia, in close coordination with Europol and Eurojust.
According to Europol, the criminal network is linked to more than 1,700 cases of cyber fraud in Austria and 1,500 in Latvia, resulting in total financial losses estimated at €4.92 million (about ₹43 crore).
The dismantled infrastructure was described as highly sophisticated and technically advanced, enabling criminals worldwide to mask their true identity and location through fake phone numbers and anonymous telecom services. Investigators revealed that the network provided phone numbers registered under identities from over 80 countries, which were then used to create more than 49 million fake online accounts on various social media and communication platforms.
These fake accounts were used to carry out phishing and smishing attacks, financial scams, and fraudulent investment schemes. In some instances, perpetrators contacted victims on messaging platforms like WhatsApp, posing as family members and demanding urgent money transfers. The service was also used in migrant smuggling, extortion, and the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
The GoGetSMS platform marketed itself as a provider of “fast and secure temporary phone numbers,” boasting more than 10 million numbers and the ability to receive verification codes from over 160 online services. It also offered users the chance to monetize their SIM cards through its “specialized software,” claiming they could earn passive income for every SMS message received.
However, several users on review websites like Trustpilot reported being scammed, complaining about non-functional phone numbers, unresponsive customer support, and the absence of refunds.
In a statement, the Latvian State Police confirmed that the platform facilitated anonymous communication and financial transactions, impacting over 3,200 individuals worldwide. Authorities described the takedown as a major success against a global cybercrime ecosystem that posed a serious threat to digital identity and financial security.
Experts have hailed Operation SIMCARTEL as a landmark in the fight against organized cybercrime, underscoring that global coordination and intelligence sharing are crucial to dismantling emerging Cybercrime-as-a-Service (CaaS) networks.
