30/01/2020 (Agence Europe) – Eurojust and Europol announced on Thursday 30 January the arrest by French and Belgian authorities of ten people suspected of being involved in a large-scale fraud involving Bitcoins and other types of cryptocurrency. The organised criminal group, operating from Israel, is said to have defrauded nearly 85 people in France and Belgium of a total of €6 million. Investigations revealed that the criminal group had other fraud plans but did not have time to carry them out. The modus operandi was to offer victims, approached by telephone, to make an initial investment in Bitcoins on fake websites with the promise of profits of up to 35% of their investment. The criminal group first gained the trust of its victims by allowing them to make small gains, and then defrauded them with subsequent payments. (MF)