Global cybercrime clampdown disrupts over 45K illicit IP addresses

More than 45,000 malicious IP addresses used by cybercrime operations worldwide have been taken down between July 2025 and January 2026 as part of the Interpol-coordinated Operation Synergia III campaign, which involved law enforcement across 72 countries and private firms, such as Trend Micro and Group-IB, reports Infosecurity Magazine.

Operation Synergia III also led to the sequestration of 212 servers and electronic devices, as well as the apprehension of 94 individuals, with 110 others still under probe, according to Interpol. Notable activities part of the international clampdown include Chinese law enforcement's disruption of more than 33,000 phishing sites that have been used to spoof casinos, banks, and government platforms, as well as Togo authorities' dismantling of a fraud ring that led to the arrest of 10 suspects. Such an operation was noted by Group-IB CEO Dmitry Volkov to exhibit the importance of law enforcement and private sector coordination in busting cybercrime networks.

"By sharing intelligence on malicious infrastructure and attacker tactics, Group-IB remains committed to supporting global efforts to dismantle cybercrime operations and protect organizations and individuals worldwide," said Volkov.