Germany-Led Raids Seize More Than 100 Servers in Investment Fraud Probe

A Germany-led operation targeting infrastructure behind a suspected cross-border investment fraud searched 17 locations and seized more than 100 servers Tuesday, Nov. 3, while authorities took numerous fraudulent websites offline.

Seven suspects were provisionally arrested under European arrest warrants seeking their surrender or extradition to Germany. Enforcement measures also took place in Israel, Albania, Kosovo, Cyprus, North Macedonia and Finland.

The Itzehoe Public Prosecutor’s Office and Schleswig-Holstein State Criminal Police Office suspect a company operating from Cyprus and Israel supplied fraudulent trading websites to other groups. The authorities allege the sites promoted cryptocurrency, foreign-exchange and stock trading and collected personal data from people who engaged with them.

That data was allegedly sold to call-center operators in Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia. German investigators allege the call-center operators displayed fictitious profits, pressured people to send more money and delayed withdrawal requests.

Estimated losses exceed €4 million, and the scheme may have reached potential victims in at least 50 countries. Authorities have not confirmed a victim count or final loss total.

A German couple’s 2022 complaint said they could not withdraw money invested through an online trading platform. Authorities took earlier action in 2022 and 2025 before Tuesday’s operation. Three people connected to earlier phases were extradited to Germany and sentenced to prison terms of three to five years. Those sentences concern earlier phases of the case, separate from the seven provisional arrests announced Tuesday.