Cybercrime Crackdown: 193 Arrested in Violence-As-a-Service Scheme

Europol's GRIMM taskforce has arrested nearly 200 people accused of running or participating in 'violence-as-a-service' schemes. These individuals are allegedly groomed or coerced into committing a range of violent crimes, from acts of intimidation and torture to murder.

The arrests were reported on Monday, and they follow the taskforce's formation in April, which includes investigators from Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the UK, along with Europol experts and online service providers.

In the first six months of this operation, police arrested 63 people directly involved in carrying out or planning violent crimes, 40 'enablers' accused of facilitating violence-for-hire services, 84 recruiters, and six 'instigators,' five of whom were labeled 'high-value targets.' Many of those involved are connected to a loosely knit gang known as The Com, primarily English speakers, intertwined with networks of hackers, SIM swappers, and extortionists.

The group's activities have extended across the Atlantic, prompting the FBI to issue warnings about a subset called In Real Life Com, which poses a growing threat to youth. Specifically, the FBI highlighted subgroup activities that include swat-for-hire services, where hoaxers falsely report shootings or bomb threats to trigger armed police responses at victims' residences.