At the Cybercrime Competence Center in Vienna, researchers track down criminals via the internet. For example, a domestic crypto gang that stole six million euros from hundreds of victims.
When police officers no longer know what to do about crimes on the internet, the ball is passed to the C4 detectives. The ‘Cyber Cobra’ of the Federal Criminal Police then attaches itself to the traces that criminals leave on the internet. It is the nature of the business that these investigations are often extremely time-consuming and detailed work. The fraudsters like to hide their tracks, which extend all over the world. And learn new techniques that the C4 specialists must first crack.
For example, in 2021, technicians arrested the perpetrator of a murder in the Viennese Alsergrund, in which a tobacconist was doused with gasoline and killed. We managed to rescue the completely charred hard drive and the video recordings from the tobacconist’s shop.
The fake construct “LoopX” was the idea of Austrians
The officers were currently on the trail of completely different perpetrators. Four Austrians (29, 36, 38 and 40 years old) and a 34-year-old Czech published the cryptocurrency ‘LoopX’ at the end of 2017. 7,500 transactions and just two months later, when they had raised around six million euros from more than 100 ‘investors’, they took the currency, which in reality never existed, offline and fled with large loot.
The police cooperated in a coordinated manner with the Public Prosecution Service for Economic Affairs and Corruption, Europol and Eurojust, and with liaison officers in October 2023. House searches in Graz, Linz, Cyprus and Prague not only brought suspects to prison. 750,000 euros, a villa (value: 1.4 million) and two sports cars were also seized.
Minister of the Interior Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) congratulated on this success. And added that in addition to modern equipment, it also requires modern forces. That means the state trojan, without which even the best researchers are often left in the dark. Anyone who thinks that the ‘Cyber Cobra’ is resting on its laurels is wrong. According to Business and Corruption Prosecutor Martin Ortner, his office has more than 30 cybercrime proceedings underway. The damage: more than five million euros each. A host of other crimes on the Internet continue to be feverishly investigated.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
