Euro Vishing Fraudsters Add Physical Intimidation to Arsenal

Europol and partner agencies dismantled a large vishing campaign that combined voice phishing, social engineering and in-person coercion to target elderly Spanish citizens; 54 arrests were made and approximately $2.7M in losses were reported. The operation involved call centers, impersonation of bank staff, voice-AI and spoofing technologies, and concluded with physical visits to victims to collect cards and valuables, highlighting the need for awareness training and voice-threat defenses.