Europol has warned that organised crime gangs are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence to scale up scams and payment systems, making their operations more global, cost-efficient, and difficult to detect.
According to the report, these advancements enable criminal networks to craft multilingual messages and generate highly realistic impersonations to defraud and blackmail targets in global cyberfraud operations. Europol also highlighted a disturbing trend in which generative AI is being misused to produce child sexual abuse material.
“The very DNA of organised crime is changing,” said Catherine De Bolle, Europol’s executive director. “Criminal networks have evolved into global, technology-driven enterprises, exploiting digital platforms, illicit financial flows, and geopolitical instability to expand their influence.”
The report cautioned that the emergence of fully autonomous AI systems—capable of planning and executing tasks without human oversight—could usher in an era of entirely AI-controlled criminal networks, marking a significant escalation in organised crime.
Europol’s findings come on the heels of recent law enforcement actions, including the arrest of two dozen individuals for distributing AI-generated child abuse images in late February, and the dismantling of MATRIX, an encrypted messaging service used in international drug and arms trafficking, in early December. The agency also identified cyber attacks, migrant smuggling, drug and firearms trafficking, and waste management wrongdoing as some of the fastest growing criminal threats on the continent.
As AI technology continues to evolve, Europol’s warning underscores the urgent need for global cooperation and robust legislative frameworks to counter the mounting risks posed by AI-enabled criminal activities.
Before becoming Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost shared rare insights on faith, unity, and modern challenges in a few candid interviews.
A humanitarian ship carrying 20,000 tons of Ukrainian wheat docked in Samsun, Türkiye, on Thursday, marking a major World Food Program initiative to supply crisis-hit regions, including Syria.
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un supervised a missile test on Thursday, emphasizing the nation's nuclear combat readiness, according to state media KCNA.
EU foreign ministers will visit Lviv, Ukraine, on May 9 to discuss defense support and endorse plans for a tribunal on war crimes and aggression.
The election of U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV has drawn an emotional response from clergy and laity across the globe, celebrating his historic rise as the first American to lead the Catholic Church.
India has fired a series of missiles into Pakistani-controlled territory, in what it has described as “Operation Sindoor”
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For the first time in history, an American has been chosen to lead the Catholic Church, as Cardinal Robert Prevost is named pope.
Chinese e-commerce platform Temu has announced it will no longer sell goods directly from China to U.S. customers, shifting instead to U.S.-based sellers amid the closure of a long-criticized customs loophole.
Cardinals from 70 nations have gathered in Vatican City to begin the historic conclave to elect the next pope, following the death of Pope Francis 17 days ago. This conclave is the most geographically diverse in Church history, showcasing Francis’ legacy of inclusivity.
Before becoming Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost shared rare insights on faith, unity, and modern challenges in a few candid interviews.
A humanitarian ship carrying 20,000 tons of Ukrainian wheat docked in Samsun, Türkiye, on Thursday, marking a major World Food Program initiative to supply crisis-hit regions, including Syria.
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un supervised a missile test on Thursday, emphasizing the nation's nuclear combat readiness, according to state media KCNA.
EU foreign ministers will visit Lviv, Ukraine, on May 9 to discuss defense support and endorse plans for a tribunal on war crimes and aggression.
The election of U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV has drawn an emotional response from clergy and laity across the globe, celebrating his historic rise as the first American to lead the Catholic Church.
Before becoming Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost shared rare insights on faith, unity, and modern challenges in a few candid interviews.
A humanitarian ship carrying 20,000 tons of Ukrainian wheat docked in Samsun, Türkiye, on Thursday, marking a major World Food Program initiative to supply crisis-hit regions, including Syria.
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un supervised a missile test on Thursday, emphasizing the nation's nuclear combat readiness, according to state media KCNA.
EU foreign ministers will visit Lviv, Ukraine, on May 9 to discuss defense support and endorse plans for a tribunal on war crimes and aggression.
The election of U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV has drawn an emotional response from clergy and laity across the globe, celebrating his historic rise as the first American to lead the Catholic Church.
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