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Police in Germany and Brazil moved this week against a group accused of draining about 30 million euros, or $34.7 million, from German online banking accounts in late 2023. Germany's federal police agency, the BKA, said three suspects were charged in Europe, and Brazil's federal police said four more were arrested, The Record reported.
The theft ran over four days in November 2023. The BKA said the attackers exploited a vulnerability at a payment provider to make numerous unauthorized withdrawals from the accounts of German online banking users. Brazilian authorities said the process involved cloned payment cards.
BleepingComputer reported that the flaw was introduced by a faulty software update in the payment and transaction processing system. Neither police agency named the bank. Brazilian media identified it as Commerzbank. A Commerzbank spokesperson told the site that unauthorized direct debits were made because of technical issues at a service provider, and that customers suffered no financial loss.
Brazil's Federal Police launched Operacao Klonen, or Operation Clone, with support from the BKA. Officers executed 21 search and seizure warrants across seven cities. Four suspects were detained under preventive detention warrants in Rio de Janeiro, Guarulhos, Goiania and Carapicuiba. The three suspects picked up in Europe will be prosecuted in Spain and Bulgaria.
Investigators said the money moved through pass-through accounts, companies, payment institutions, virtual asset platforms and payment cards issued without the holders' consent. The largest share was withdrawn in Brazil, with smaller amounts cashed out in four European countries. A Brazilian court ordered the seizure of financial assets, vehicles and real estate worth more than $20 million.
One person identified in the investigation "was a candidate for elected office in 2024 and used part of the illicitly obtained money in his campaign," Brazilian police said. They did not release his name. Local media reported that he had run for city council in Rio de Janeiro. Officers also seized a 3-D printer used to make weapons during the raids.
The Frankfurt public prosecutor's office worked on the German side of the case. Spanish and Bulgarian authorities assisted the investigation. German media first reported the 30 million euro loss at Commerzbank in late 2023, when the bank said customers would not be left out of pocket.
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