Blow to in­ter­na­tion­al cy­ber in­vest­ment fraud

Year of issue 2026
Date of issue 2026.09.25

The CCZ at the General Public Prosecutor’s Office Karlsruhe and the Baden-Württemberg LKA, in close cooperation with the BKA, Bafin and the Bundesnetzagentur, and working closely with the Austrian BKA, have once again significantly weakened the infrastructure of suspected cyber criminals.

Over the past three months, Operation Heracles, as part of the large-scale anti-scam strategy of the CCZ and the LKA, succeeded in identifying and disconnecting 9,304 German telephone numbers that were used to commit fraud offences, in particular cyber trading fraud (online investment fraud). This brings the total to 13,888 telephone numbers that have been disconnected since the beginning of Operation Heracles, including 13,397 German numbers and 491 Austrian numbers. With regard to the Austrian telephone numbers identified, an ongoing close and trustful exchange is taking place with the Austrian BKA.

The measures were directed against perpetrators whose identities are not yet known on suspicion of conspiracy to commit commercial gang fraud. These measures were carried out under the leadership of the CCZ in close cooperation with the LKA and with the support of the BKA. The financial supervisory authority Bafin is investigating, under its own responsibility, illicit dealings in cyber trading. Bafin's investigative findings, which led to the identification of numerous suspicious telephone numbers, contributed significantly to the success of the measures.

In connection with these actions, the Bundesnetzagentur took supervisory measures against the telecommunications companies responsible. The aim was to prevent perpetrators from registering and misusing telephone numbers. The companies were thus required to disconnect telephone numbers and make adjustments to their registration processes. They were likewise obliged to strengthen the compliance controls of their sales partners and resellers and to subject them to more thorough checks to prevent further misuse.

As part of this cooperation, structures and procedures were institutionalised that in future will enable the authorities involved to systematically identify substantial volumes of telephone numbers used for criminal purposes and disconnect them. In this context, criminal procedural, police-law and regulatory measures interlock.

Operation Heracles marks the first time that the authorities involved are pursuing a coordinated strategic objective, namely to systematically and sustainably weaken the criminal infrastructure and drive the perpetrators out of German territory. Targeted criminal procedural measures aim to solve ongoing criminal offences, identify suspects, effectively disrupt criminal groups, prevent further offences and provide lasting protection for potential victims. In June and October 2025 more than 2,200 domains allegedly used to commit cyber fraud offences were removed from the internet. In December around 3,500 telephone numbers suspected of being used to commit such offences were cut off (see joint press releases of 8 December 2025, 13 October 2025 and 17 June 2025).

The CCZ and the LKA, in cooperation with the BKA, Bafin and the Bundesnetzagentur as well as foreign partners, will continue their determined action against such offences on the internet and will take further measures to continue to combat cyber trading fraud and other forms of fraud on a lasting basis. 

Additional information

The criminal offence of cyber trading fraud has in recent years grown to become a widespread phenomenon on an industrial scale, with numbers of cases and amounts of damage continually on the rise. The police, the CCZ and Bafin recommend the following where offers seem particularly attractive:

• Gather complete and accurate information about the trading platform before you register or transfer any money.
• Do not allow yourself to be put under pressure. Take the time to examine and assess the offer carefully.
• Do not disclose confidential information such as online banking or securities account login details.
• Do not send copies of your identity documents or payment cards.
• Use the Verbraucherzentrale services or independent financial advisory services and have the offers checked.
• If you are a victim of fraud, file a criminal complaint with the police.

In this context, BaFin again points out that providers of financial and securities services in Germany are generally required to have a licence. Before making any investments, consumers should check whether a company holds the appropriate licence.

The police and Bafin provide detailed information on their websites about criminals’ tricks and how you can protect yourself. Helpful tips on cyber trading investment fraud can be found on the crime prevention websites of the federal states and the federal government.

Media contacts

General Public Prosecutor’s Office Karlsruhe/Baden-Württemberg Cyber Crime Center (CCZ)
Press office
Senior public prosecutor Mirko Heim
Email: pressestelle@genstakarlsruhe.justiz.bwl.de
Phone: +49 (0)341 926-9750

State Criminal Police Office (LKA) of Baden-Württemberg
Press officer
Alexandra Vischer
Email: pressestelle-lka@polizei.bwl.de
Phone: 0711 5401-2044

Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bafin)
Spokesperson Anti-Financial Crime
Ruprecht Hammerschmidt
Email: ruprecht.hammerschmidt@bafin.de
Phone: 0228 4108-3135

Bundesnetzagentur für Elektrizität, Gas, Telekommunikation, Post und Eisenbahnen
Press office
Matthias Podolski
Email: pressestelle@bnetza.de
Phone: 0228 14-9921