In the raid-which law enforcement officials code-named “Fontana-Almabahia”-Europol and the Italian and Spanish national police forces searched 16 houses, froze 118 bank accounts, and made 106 arrests in all.Īlthough Italian mobsters are the OG organized crime bosses, cybercrime and hacking is traditionally associated with Russian-speaking criminals, Nigerian gangs, or teams working for North Korea’s government. And they also used SIM-swapping schemes, in which criminals convince phone service providers to transfer victims’ phone numbers to another device to access accounts. The gangsters and accomplices also used “vishing,” or voice phishing, in which criminals trick victims over the phone into coughing up personal information such as passwords or credit card details.
“This large criminal network was very well organised in a pyramid structure, which included different specialised areas and roles,” Europol said in a statement earlier this week. After the mobsters received the ill-gotten gains, they laundered the currency through front companies, money mules, and cryptocurrency assets, according to Spanish police.
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For more UK daily news, Spanish daily news and Global news stories, visit the Euro Weekly News home page. Thank you for taking the time to read this news article “Italian Mafia Using Social Media to Reinforce Power”. Viewed over a quarter of a million times on social media, it is believed the video was intended as a recruitment drive for local youths in the region to join the mafia as southern Italy suffers chronic unemployment. In the Calabrian town of Rosarno, a group of young suspected mafia footsoldiers filmed a gangster rap music video in which they showed off weapons, luxury cars, and expensive jewelry. Mafia experts say that gangs have always used various methods of branding and self-promotion, and that social media is the natural step for groups to remind their areas of their wealth and power in the digital age. The gangster’s side career as a social media influencer was cut short by a 30-year prison sentence. In one case a mob boss in Calabria, Vincenzo Torcasio, ran a relatively innocuous Facebook page of 18,000 followers.Īlongside memes and inspirational quotes, the mafioso would insert pictures of large sums of cash and post rants against Italy’s police agencies. Many such groups have now began using social media to bolster their image, in a move that criminologists note is an efficient way to remind locals of their dominance without resorting to violence. Digital Nomads Flock to Malaga's Hidden Gem
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