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The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Thugs go after the vulnerable, I got convicted but saw no cash' says blackmailed money mule as teens targeted by gang
THOUSANDS of teenagers in Ireland have been targeted by one of the world's most violent cyber crime gangs, we can reveal. A special investigation by The Irish Sun today tells how young people — aged between 17 and 22 — have been used by the Black Axe crime gang as part of their efforts to launder €84million through Irish 6 Young people have been used by the Black Axe crime gang Credit: Garda Info 6 Funmi Abimbola was a facilitator for the gang Credit: COLLECT 6 Giuseppe Diviccaro posed as a fashion photographer in Ireland to help run a Europe-wide fraud scam Credit: COLLECT Those in the sights of the mob include people with addiction issues, individuals who are homeless and those who come from broken homes. But others include those who have to pay off drug debts, the children of millionaires and top students. They have blackmailed kids to act as money mules after obtaining intimate images of their targets. The online criminals — classified as 'master manipulators' by READ MORE IN NEWS Once interest is shown, the fraudsters outline how the money will be paid if they can have full access to the target's bank account. And that's exactly what happened to 'John', not his real name, when he agreed to act as a 'money mule' for the infamous Investigators believe the money mule was recruited by one of the gang's main 'herders' in Ireland. The top criminal has since been arrested by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and remains a key target under 'Operation Skein'. Most read in Irish News At present, the mob is classified by Interpol as an 'ultra violent cyber crime gang' with more than 30,000 members. 'John' spoke exclusively to The Irish Sun after he received an 18-month suspended sentence for money laundering. Inside France's brutal crypto crime wave with chopped off fingers, delivery van street kidnaps & £10million ransoms He told us: 'I was duped by these people and wish I could turn back the clock. 'I was homeless at the time and got this Snapchat message offering me €500 in exchange for my bank account details, and I thought it was easy money. 'I have never been in trouble in my life and never once thought that doing something like this was a form of money laundering. 'I was vulnerable and that's why they targeted me — and I never received any payment. 'I WAS DUPED' 'I was duped by these people and I would urge anyone not to respond to requests of this nature.' John was contacted on Snapchat and agreed to hand over his personal bank details. Once obtained, €49,500 then landed in his account. Two other young men were also targeted by the same 'herder' and laundered €14,900 in one account and €7,500 in another account. He also handed over his bank card and PIN number after he was instructed to meet one of the gang's associates in Dublin. SPENDING SPREE One week later, the cash was gone as the criminals went on a spending spree, buying designer clothes and electronic devices. But it wasn't until the following year when details of the huge cash lodgement was uncovered by Gardai. A probe was launched by investigators from the DMR South Serious Crime Unit at Sundrive Road Garda Station after they were contacted by Interpol. On that occasion, Interpol suspected that the cash had been stolen from a machinery company in Hungary using an 'Invoice Redirect' fraud. HOW SCAM OPERATES The scam operates by fraudsters cloning the emails of legitimate companies and asking the firm in Hungary to send payments to a different account in Ireland. But, after identifying the fraud, the firm supplied Interpol with the bank account details of where the money had been sent. The information was later passed to Gardai. Once Gardai received details of the bank account, they established John's identity and then analysed the account, identifying any other transactions. ADMITTED GUILT John was arrested by Garda detectives on August 8, 2023 and admitted his guilt. He later pleaded guilty to a money laundering offence and received a fully suspended 18-month sentence, on March 14 of this year. John added: 'I am now in a good place and just want to get on with my life. 'I would also have no hesitation in going into schools and telling the young people there about my own experience. 'STAY WELL AWAY' 'If young people engage with these fraudsters then it could seriously affect their future — my message is to stay well away.' Det Supt Michael Cryan confirmed money mules were an 'integral part' of the major crime gang. The senior officer said: 'Individuals need to realise that if they act as a money mule, they are interacting with vicious transnational organised criminals. 'You owe them and they control you. If the money is frozen by the bank, they have been known to demand that you pay up yourself — like drug dealers. US HAS 'HARSH SENTENCING' 'The money mules have no idea what their account will be used for, how much or where it was stolen. If stolen in the USA, they may look to extradite you there to charge you and sentencing is very harsh there. 'They also need to realise that they are helping organised crime gangs who traffic humans, who run brothels, as well as funding their lavish lifestyles. 'People who get involved in this are destroying their own futures because they could go to jail, end up with a criminal record and be prevented from getting jobs.' As part of 'Operation Skein', Gardai have identified 1,100 people connected to the Black Axe gang in Ireland. OPERATION SKEIN They have also made 565 arrests, prosecuted 300 people and cautioned 39 juveniles. Over 50 senior members of the gang have also been arrested here. Our revelations on the gang come after Innocent 'Lucky' Aigbekaen, 31, from Dundalk, Co Louth, became their latest member to be jailed here in November 2024. The conman — who used the name 'Nino Blanti' — recruited money mules and laundered €331,623 through Irish accounts. Bank worker Funmi Abimbola, 26, from Rosse Court Terrace in Lucan, Dublin, who was a facilitator for the gang, was jailed for three years in October last year. Also caged was Italian conman Giuseppe Diviccaro, 48, who was locked up in 2021 after he posed as a photographer in Ireland to launder €200,000 through Irish accounts. 6 Detective Superintendent Michael Cryan said money mules were an integral part of the crime gang Credit: Brian Lawless/PA 6 Some €84million has been laundered through Irish banks Credit: Getty 6 The mob has blackmailed kids to act as money mules Credit: Paul Sharp - Commissioned by The Sun Dublin
Irish Times
03-05-2025
- Irish Times
‘Black Axe' gang behind bank account takeover fraud swells to network of 1,600 people in Ireland
Gardaí have identified 1,600 people linked to an international gang specialising in fraud and money laundering in the Republic, including 100 members responsible for its direction. Though the amount of money confirmed stolen and laundered by the Black Axe gang in Ireland has now reached almost €100 million, gardaí believe the true figure is much higher. Some members of the Garda believe the scale of the Black Axe gang's activities means it is generating profits in Ireland that rival the domestic drugs trade, perhaps even surpassing it. The Irish Times has learned that while the Black Axe gang in Ireland initially specialised in laundering large sums of money via the Irish banking system after it was stolen abroad, its tactics have changed of late. It is now primarily focused on taking over the bank accounts of unsuspecting victims in the country. READ MORE The proceeds of bank account takeover fraud exceeded €13 million last year, compared to €4 million in 2020. These crimes are linked to bogus texts purporting to come from the pillar banks along with cloned websites identical to those used by those banks. Unsuspecting bank customers are tricked into sharing their account login details, believing they are being directed by their banks to log into their accounts to resolve stated problems. Once Black Axe gang members gain access to an account, they add other accounts they already control as beneficiaries. They then quickly transfer as much money as possible into those accounts. More than 1,400 money-mule bank accounts have now been identified in Ireland. These are accounts held by people known as 'money mules' who agree to allow the accounts to be used to take receipt of defrauded money in exchange for a fee, though they are rarely paid. Many money mules are recruited in Ireland at social gatherings, often linked to college campuses, and in other settings, with the network of Black Axe recruiters now nationwide. Gardaí suspect there are several thousand other money-mule accounts in the Republic that have not yet been confirmed as linked to the Black Axe gang. [ Global criminal gangs hone skills at cracking private accounts Opens in new window ] Gardaí began investigating the gang in 2020 under Operation Skein, carried out by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau. Garda sources have confirmed this has resulted in: – Almost 1,600 people in Ireland being identified as connected to the gang, including 610 suspects arrested; – More than 350 people being prosecuted, with 40 juvenile offenders dealt with via the Garda's youth diversion programme; – A total of 100 senior, or management-rank, figures being identified, including those who recruit mules, facilitators and gang leaders; – More than 300 money mules so far being arrested; – Some 18 senior offenders being prosecuted under gangland legislation for directing, or participating in, a crime gang, with seven cases already concluded to sentencing. Garda sources noted the Black Axe's cyber-enabled frauds are much more lucrative, and lower-risk, than drug dealing, as it is not necessary to smuggle contraband into the country and sell it on. Black Axe was started in Nigeria in 1977, initially as a university-based fraternity or cult whose logo at the time was a slave's arms in shackles being broken by a black axe. However, it morphed into an organised crime group involved in drug dealing, murder, prostitution, people trafficking, gun-running and intimidation. It now has cells globally, including a rapidly growing presence in Ireland over the past five years. It has proven adept at harnessing rapid technological advances – internet, mobile phones, social media, dating apps and online banking – to carry out cyber-enabled fraud. Its activities also include bogus invoice fraud, romance fraud, bank account takeovers and other schemes. The gang recruits money mules to take receipt of money which is then withdrawn, converting it into cash, or it is moved between accounts around the world to launder it and frustrate law enforcement freezing it before it is lost.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Yahoo
12 on trial in Germany for romance scams linked to Nigerian mafia
A trial started in Munich on Monday of 12 suspected members of the Nigerian mafia, accused of love scamming victims into paying them money by feigning a romantic relationship to gain their trust. The men aged between 33 and 54 have been charged with forming a criminal organization, with the proceedings at the Munich regional court said to be the first large trial targeting the Black Axe confraternity. Among the defendants is a man believed to be the head of the German offshoot of the mafia-style gang that is known to be involved in money laundering and human trafficking of women for sexual exploitation in Europe. The Munich trial concerns dozens of romance scam cases, with one woman alone said to have paid some €235,000 ($257,400). Almost all defendants remained silent as the trial begun, with one rejecting the accusations, according to his lawyer. Bavarian investigators conducted raids targeting the Black Axe confraternity in April last year, the first crackdown on the group nationwide. Ahead of the raids, it had been widely unknown that the Nigerian mafia, estimated to have some 30,000 members globally, was also increasingly operating in Germany. The Bavarian State Criminal Police Office estimates that a three-digit figure is active in the country, with activities believed to be focussed on the southern German state. According to a report by Bavaria's domestic intelligence agency from 2023, Black Axe is one of four Nigerian mafia-style gangs which emerged from university fraternities in the 1960s and 1970s. The groups are active globally and involved in illegal drug trading, cybercrime, online fraud, money laundering and human trafficking, according to Bavarian investigators. In Nigeria, competition between the groups has repeatedly resulted in violence. The trial at the Munich regional court are likely to drag on for months, with a verdict possibly expected on December 19.
