Security News > 2021 > February > Police in Europe Bust Gang Hijacking Celeb Phones, Arrest 10
Police have arrested 10 people in the U.K., Belgium and Malta for allegedly hijacking mobile phones belonging to U.S. celebrities including internet influencers, sports stars and musicians to steal personal information and millions in cryptocurrency, authorities said.
The European Union police agency Europol said Wednesday that the gang is believed to have stolen more than $100 million in cryptocurrencies by using so-called SIM swap attacks.
The arrests were the result of a joint investigation by U.K., U.S., Canadian, Belgian and Maltese police, Europol said.
Europol didn't specify the nationalities of those caught in the sweep, but the U.K.'s National Crime Agency said a day earlier that eight men were arrested in England and Scotland.
Two others were arrested previously in Belgium and Malta, Europol said.
Europol has warned that SIM swapping is a growing threat carried out by fraudsters.