Ethical Hacking News
Global law enforcement efforts have successfully disrupted a $45 million cryptocurrency theft operation, with over 20,000 victims affected across the US, UK, and Canada. The joint operation highlights the importance of international cooperation in combating cybercrime.
The global crypto theft operation "Operation Atlantic" targeted large-scale cryptocurrency theft schemes. The authorities managed to identify over $45 million in stolen digital assets and froze around $12 million. More than 20,000 individuals were affected by the scam across the UK, Canada, and the US. The operation focused on "approval phishing" tactics used in online investment fraud. Approval phishing tricks users into granting attackers access to their cryptocurrency wallet. The success of Operation Atlantic highlights the importance of international cooperation in combating cybercrime.
The world of cryptocurrency has long been plagued by scams, phishing schemes, and other forms of malicious activity. One such scheme that garnered significant attention recently was the $45 million crypto theft operation codenamed "Operation Atlantic." This global effort involved cooperation between law enforcement agencies from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada.
In a recent press release published on April 14, 2026, by security expert Pierluigi Paganini, it was revealed that these three countries joined forces to target large-scale cryptocurrency theft schemes. The authorities managed to identify over $45 million in stolen digital assets and successfully froze around $12 million.
According to TRM, a blockchain cybersecurity firm, the victims of this scheme were identified across the UK, Canada, and the United States, with more than 20,000 individuals affected by the scam.
The Operation Atlantic effort focused on identifying victims who may have lost – or are at risk of losing – crypto assets through "approval phishing." This tactic is often used in online investment fraud, commonly referred to as "pig butchering," to lure victims into handing over ever-increasing amounts to scammers.
Approval phishing is a particularly insidious scam that tricks users into granting attackers access to their cryptocurrency wallet. Victims receive fake prompts that appear legitimate and are asked to "approve" access. Once accepted, scammers gain control and can steal funds using fake sites, apps, or links to deceive users.
The success of Operation Atlantic highlights the importance of international cooperation in combating cybercrime. The operation was made possible through collaboration between government agencies and private industry.
"This intensive action has led to the safeguarding of thousands of victims in the UK and overseas, stopped criminals in their tracks, and helped save others from losing their funds," said Miles Bonfield, Deputy Director of Investigations at the National Crime Agency (NCA).
The Operation Atlantic effort serves as a powerful example of what can be achieved when nations work together to combat cyber threats.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Global-Effort-Foils-45M-Crypto-Theft-Operation-A-Masterclass-in-International-Collaboration-ehn.shtml
https://securityaffairs.com/190805/cyber-crime/us-uk-and-canada-disrupt-45m-crypto-theft-in-operation-atlantic.html
https://www.secretservice.gov/newsroom/releases/2026/04/operation-atlantic-disrupts-more-45-million-cryptocurrency-fraud-freezes
https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/news/fraudsters-targeting-cryptocurrency-stopped-and-12-million-frozen-in-nca-led-operation-atlantic
Published: Tue Apr 14 10:03:38 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
