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.
In a sweeping regulatory move aimed at curbing misinformation and enhancing transparency, Chinese authorities have announced new rules requiring all AI-generated content to be clearly labeled.
In early 2025, a new trend dubbed “vibe coding” is reshaping the way software is developed. Coined by computer scientist Andrej Karpathy, vibe coding refers to a paradigm where developers increasingly lean on AI to handle the bulk of the coding work.
AI startup Anthropic has closed a $3.5 billion funding round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, pushing its post-money valuation to a staggering $61.5 billion.
DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis called on Britain to harness its strengths—such as world-class universities and top-tier talent—to shape how artificial intelligence is deployed globally.
The Nvidia’s annual software developer conference this week, CEO Jensen Huang is set to defend the company’s leading position in the AI chip market amid growing competition and cost pressures on its largest customers.
A phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin has ended, a White House official said on Tuesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Ukraine war in a phone call Tuesday, with Washington hoping to secure a 30-day ceasefire and progress toward a lasting peace. While Kyiv has agreed, Trump aims to persuade Putin to fully commit to the truce.
A tragic plane crash off the coast of Honduras has left at least 12 dead, including renowned musician Aurelio Martinez Suazo. The Jetstream aircraft plunged into the sea minutes after takeoff from Roatán Island, with five survivors rescued. Search efforts continue amid challenging conditions.
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.
Colombia’s Finance Minister Diego Guevara is reportedly resigning after budget disputes with President Gustavo Petro, local media say. The finance ministry denies having official information, but sources claim he stepped down Monday night, with German Avila Plaza expected to replace him.
The inside of a Herculaneum delicate & ancient scroll, unseen for nearly 2,000 years, has been revealed using Artificial Intelligence.
World leaders welcomed the 30-day ceasefire proposal that Ukraine has agreed to, calling it a step toward ending the conflict with Russia.
Regarding the Armenia-Azerbaijan process, we cannot forget the years of occupation, and we will not forget them, President Ilham Aliyev said in his speech at the opening ceremony of the 12th Global Baku Forum.
President Donald Trump has vowed to respond to the European Union's counter-tariffs, escalating tensions over the U.S. steel and aluminum duties that have sparked a trade dispute between the two economic powers.
Speaking at a meeting of AIPAC’s board of directors, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stated that the decision to resume strikes in Gaza was made several days ago and that the military operation will persist beyond today.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday cautioned his economic team against overcooling the national economy through overly tight monetary policies ahead of the central bank's impending rate decision.
Brazil’s government on Tuesday unveiled a long-promised income tax reform aimed at exempting individuals earning up to 5,000 reais (approximately $881) per month from paying income tax.
Tear gas filled the air as French police raided a Paris theatre at dawn, evicting over 400 migrants who had been squatting there for months. Protesters shouted "shame" as riot police moved in, sparking clashes. The migrants, mostly West Africans, say they have nowhere else to go.
NHL stars, including Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson, will take the ice in Sweden as the Penguins and Predators face off in the Global Series at Avicii Arena on Nov. 14 and 16. Fans eager to see hockey’s biggest names, like Crosby and Connor McDavid, prompted the league’s international push
A phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin has ended, a White House official said on Tuesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Ukraine war in a phone call Tuesday, with Washington hoping to secure a 30-day ceasefire and progress toward a lasting peace. While Kyiv has agreed, Trump aims to persuade Putin to fully commit to the truce.
A tragic plane crash off the coast of Honduras has left at least 12 dead, including renowned musician Aurelio Martinez Suazo. The Jetstream aircraft plunged into the sea minutes after takeoff from Roatán Island, with five survivors rescued. Search efforts continue amid challenging conditions.
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.
Colombia’s Finance Minister Diego Guevara is reportedly resigning after budget disputes with President Gustavo Petro, local media say. The finance ministry denies having official information, but sources claim he stepped down Monday night, with German Avila Plaza expected to replace him.
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