Europol Traced €47 Million in Crypto in Major Anti-Piracy Enforcement Action, 25 Illicit IPTV Targeted
Published
Key Takeaways
- Operation scope: Almost 70 websites involved in digital piracy were identified, with an estimated combined traffic of over 11.8 million annual visitors.
- Cryptocurrency tracing: Investigators traced approximately €47 million in crypto payments associated with these illicit services.
- Method: A novel strategy saw investigators purchase services using crypto to identify and report illicit actors to crypto exchanges and specialized partners.
A coordinated operation has successfully traced approximately €47 million (US $55 million) in cryptocurrency linked to illicit services, in a digital piracy action targeting the growing use of crypto by intellectual property infringers. The initiative involved investigators from over 15 countries and private sector organizations.
Novel Cryptocurrency Tracing and Disruption Methods
The "Intellectual Property Crime Cyber-Patrol Week," conducted in collaboration with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and Spanish authorities, focuses on disrupting the financial revenue streams of criminal enterprises.
The operation highlighted the increasing reliance of criminals on cryptocurrency payments, which they mistakenly believe provide anonymity.
To counter this, investigators employed advanced Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) techniques and a novel approach of using cryptocurrencies to purchase illicit services. This method of cryptocurrency tracing allowed authorities to identify the actors behind the services and their associated crypto accounts.
As a result:
- 25 illicit IPTV services were referred to participating crypto service providers for disruption,
- Investigations into 44 additional sites were initiated,
- 69 sites identified and targeted.
This "follow the money" strategy strikes directly at the financial viability of these illegal operations.
Implications for Intellectual Property Crime
As threat actors continue to leverage new technologies, this collaborative and financially-focused model serves as a critical component in protecting intellectual property and disrupting the global digital piracy ecosystem.
This month, a $690 million crypto scam network was dismantled in a multi-country operation, and nine suspects were arrested. In July, systematic content theft operations were seen targeting legitimate streaming services worldwide via over 1,000 domains, impacting over 20 entertainment brands.
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