Europol Dismantles Global SIM Farm Network Behind 49 Million Fake Accounts
European law enforcement has shut down one of the world’s largest SIM farm operations, responsible for fueling a massive global market in fake online accounts. The takedown—codenamed Operation SIMCARTEL—dismantled a criminal network managing over 1,200 SIM boxes loaded with 40,000 active SIM cards used in fraud, phishing, and other cyber-enabled crimes.
According to Europol, the network’s infrastructure supported more than 3,200 cases of fraud, causing victims estimated losses of €4.5 million. Investigators say the service was used to verify fake profiles, send fraudulent SMS messages, and conceal the real identities of cybercriminals operating worldwide.
A Global Service for Fake Identities
The group ran two commercial websites—gogetsms[.]com and apisim[.]com—offering on-demand mobile numbers registered to individuals across more than 80 countries. The services functioned as a kind of criminal “SMS-as-a-service” platform: for a fee, clients could rent numbers to create accounts on social networks, messaging apps, and online marketplaces, bypassing verification checks.
“These technically sophisticated SIM farms enabled criminals worldwide to conduct a wide range of telecommunications and cybercrimes while concealing their identities,” Europol stated in a press release.
Investigators estimate the network was used to generate 49 million fake accounts, including at least 1,700 linked to fraud cases in Austria and 1,500 in Latvia. Crimes facilitated through the service included investment scams, marketplace fraud, extortion, impersonation of law enforcement, and fake banking websites. The same infrastructure was also exploited for illegal migration schemes and money transfer fraud on WhatsApp.
The Operation and Arrests
The international operation was coordinated by Europol with support from the Shadowserver Foundation and law enforcement agencies in Austria, Estonia, Finland, and Latvia. The joint effort culminated in several arrests, including five Latvian nationals and two other suspects.
During the raids, authorities confiscated:
- 1,200 SIM boxes containing 40,000 active SIM cards;
- Hundreds of thousands of additional SIM cards ready for use;
- Five servers and the two primary websites hosting the service;
- €431,000 (≈ $500,000 USD) frozen in bank accounts and $333,000 in cryptocurrency;
- Four luxury vehicles linked to the suspects.
A Growing Trend in Cyber-Enabled Fraud
SIM farms large-scale setups that automate the use of thousands of mobile SIM cards have become an integral part of cybercriminal infrastructure, powering bot accounts, social engineering operations, and large-volume SMS spam campaigns. Their takedown requires both technical coordination and cross-border cooperation, as the numbers often originate from multiple jurisdictions.
Europol said the dismantling of the SIMCARTEL network “significantly disrupts” the global supply chain of fraudulent online identities. Investigations into affiliated operators and clients are ongoing.
