International Authorities Dismantle SocksEscort Cybercrime Network, Seize $3.5M in Crypto
Europol-led 'Operation Lightning' has successfully shut down SocksEscort, a global proxy service used by cybercriminals to hijack over 369,000 internet devices across 163 countries. The coordinated crackdown involved law enforcement from Austria, France, the Netherlands, and the United States.
Authorities seized 34 domains, disabled 23 servers across seven nations, and froze $3.5 million worth of cryptocurrency linked to the operation. The network had provided anonymous access through 35,000 compromised proxies, exploiting vulnerable routers and IoT devices since at least June 2025.
U.S. officials confirmed the cryptocurrency seizure but didn't specify which digital assets were involved. The takedown highlights growing international cooperation against cybercrime's financial infrastructure, particularly crypto-enabled money laundering networks.
