Romanian-Led Crackdown Dismantles Major Money Mule Network Behind €3 Million Online Fraud Scheme

A major transnational money laundering network has been dismantled by Romanian authorities in close cooperation with their British and French counterparts, following a coordinated investigation into an elaborate online fraud operation that resulted in at least €3 million in stolen funds.

The criminal group recruited hundreds of money mules to help launder the proceeds of their fraud, a complex scheme which targeted both individuals and businesses across several European countries. The operation received critical support from the EU’s justice and law enforcement agencies, Eurojust and Europol, and culminated in arrests and property seizures carried out in Romania and the United Kingdom.

“By sending fake emails from legitimate enterprises, the scammers managed to defraud both individual customers and entire companies,” Eurojust confirmed in an official statement. “This was mainly done by sending them genuine-looking emails with falsified invoices that led the victims to pay into the perpetrators’ accounts. Currently there are 113 victims identified from several European countries, in particular from the United Kingdom.”

To execute the laundering process, members of the group sent Romanian recruits to the UK, where they opened local bank accounts. These accounts were then used to funnel the stolen money by transferring it to other countries or disguising it as legitimate payments to UK businesses. In addition, some of the funds were laundered directly from Romania using UK SIM cards, virtual private networks (VPNs), and counterfeit UK residence documents. The proceeds were also spent on expensive jewellery and other luxury items.

According to Eurojust, Romanian authorities launched their investigation into the network back in 2020, following initial indications of the group’s involvement in online fraud activities dating back to 2018. Due to the gang’s strong operational ties with the UK, Romanian investigators worked closely with British law enforcement throughout the process.

Eurojust said it played a key role in facilitating cross-border collaboration by helping to establish a joint investigation team, hosting coordination meetings between involved states, and providing financial assistance. Europol also offered substantial support, assisting with intelligence-gathering and logistical operations. Experts from Europol’s European Financial and Economic Crime Centre were directly involved in the investigation and provided continuous support in terms of information-sharing.

After extensive planning, the joint team launched its main operation on April 9. On that day, Romanian police conducted 31 searches, identified 13 suspects, and froze multiple properties linked to the illicit activity. Simultaneously, police in the United Kingdom arrested seven individuals and searched five homes. Europol deployed an analyst to Romania to assist authorities with forensic and analytical efforts during the raids.

The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not ruled out further arrests or charges as they continue to unravel the full scope of the network’s operations.

By fLEXI tEAM