Web of crime exposed: 5,100 arrests in illegal football gambling crackdown
Interpol
Illegal gambling fuels human trafficking, money laundering and fraud
LYON, France – In a massive international operation targeting illegal football gambling and its associated criminal activity, authorities made over 5,100 arrests and recovered more than USD 59 million in illicit proceeds.
The operation, code-named SOGA X and conducted between June and July 2024, was a collaborative effort involving INTERPOL and 28 countries and territories. It was designed to tackle illegal online football gambling during the UEFA 2024 European Football Championship, which was predicted to generate a surge in betting turnover, and lucrative profits for criminal organizations.
The illegal gambling market is worth a staggering USD 1.7 trillion globally, according to research by the Asian Racing Federation, and is closely tied to other criminal enterprises. Beyond shutting down tens of thousands of illegal websites, SOGA X investigations also led to the rescue of trafficked workers and the exposure of money laundering syndicates
AFP launches new International Strategy
Australia Federal Police
The AFP today launched its new International Strategy, Towards 2030 to set out a road map for how the organisation’s overseas activities will help protect Australians into the next decade.
The AFP currently has more than 200 people based in 34 countries globally operating in a complex, volatile and technology-driven world to combat criminal threats that endanger the safety of communities in Australia and throughout the world.
Treasury Announces Enhanced Fraud Detection Processes, Including Machine Learning AI, Prevented and Recovered Over $4 Billion in Fiscal Year 2024
US Department of the Treasury
Treasury’s Office of Payment Integrity Began Using Enhanced Processes, including Machine Learning AI, to Deal with Increased Fraud and Improper Payments Since the Pandemic
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that its latest efforts in taking a technology and data-driven approach to fraud and improper payment prevention enabled the prevention and recovery of over $4 billion in fraud and improper payments this fiscal year (FY) (October 2023 – September 2024), up from $652.7 million in FY23. This increase reflects dedicated efforts by Treasury’s Office of Payment Integrity (OPI), within the Bureau of the Fiscal Service (Fiscal Service) to enhance its fraud prevention capabilities and expand offerings to new and existing customers.