International probe disrupts $62M in crypto fraud, freezes $16M – National

AhmadJunaidWorld NewsApril 9, 2026358 Views

An international law enforcement operation has disrupted more than $62 million CAD in cryptocurrency fraud and frozen millions in stolen funds, authorities said Thursday.

Dubbed Operation Atlantic, the week-long campaign involved agencies from Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, targeting so-called “approval phishing” scams.

Investigators identified more than 20,000 cryptocurrency wallet addresses linked to victims across more than 30 countries, including Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.

Officials said over $16 million CAD in stolen funds has been frozen with the aim of returning it to victims, while an additional $45 million CAD believed to be tied to investment fraud schemes remains under investigation.

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The operation also disrupted more than 120 web domains allegedly used by scammers.

“Through Operation Atlantic, investigators were able to disrupt fraud in progress and freeze millions of dollars linked to approval‑phishing schemes,” said Detective Superintendent Jennifer Spurrell, Director of Financial Crimes Services with the Ontario Provincial Police.

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Approval phishing scams typically involve fraudsters sending fake alerts or pop-ups that appear to come from trusted platforms, tricking users into granting access to their cryptocurrency wallets.

Once access is approved, criminals can transfer funds, often making recovery difficult or impossible.

If someone believes they are a victim of this type of fraud, they are asked to contact authorities.