Overview
- Karlsruhe’s Cybercrime Center, the Baden-Württemberg LKA and BaFin led the action, with providers switching off fixed, mobile and internet telephony numbers.
- By December 5, authorities had identified more than 3,500 predominantly German lines, with a further roughly 355 Austrian fixed numbers deactivated in coordination with Austria’s Federal Criminal Police Office.
- The numbers are suspected of facilitating investment scams, the “grandchild” fraud and impersonation of police officers.
- Officials say the disruption likely prevented thousands of attempted frauds and is intended to raise criminals’ operating costs to make Germany an unattractive base.
- The move follows earlier Herakles phases that seized about 2,200 illicit domains in June and October, signaling an ongoing infrastructure-focused strategy with no arrests publicly detailed.