How crime is nurtured online

This bonus episode of the Europol Podcast answers questions raised by our audience during the live expert session examining how CSAM offenders are using and adapting to emerging technologies. Danny van Althuis, Head of Team at the European Cybercrime Centre at Europol, goes into depth on CSAM detection and generation, the different types of offender behaviours, and the importance of law enforcement and cooperation. Speakers: Danny van Althuis, Head of Team, Europol Learn more:

Fraud schemes represent the fastest-growing area of organised crime. Online fraud schemes (OFS) networks target both individuals and organisations, operating as highly efficient and transnational industries. These networks employ a range of logistical, technical, and financial operations to perpetrate large-scale fraud. With the increasing adoption of generative AI, fraudsters can now personalise social engineering techniques, making them more convincing and dangerous. Online fraud schemes are one of the key threats highlighted in our annual Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA). To find out more, tune in to this episode where Europol experts discuss this growing threat. Speakers: Jorge Rosal Cosano, Head of Team, Europol Learn more: Report: Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA) The scam-aware mindset: simple habits to stay protected Social engineering: when trust is exploited

Ransomware continues to pose a dominant threat across the EU. Criminal actors persist in exploiting vulnerabilities in the digital supply chain and are increasingly employing social engineering techniques. Moreover, they are evolving through the use of ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) to adapt their platforms and launch new services. Ransomware is one of the key threats highlighted in our annual Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA). To find out more, tune into this episode on this growing threat, as well as the blurring between hybrid actors and cybercriminals, as told by Europol experts. Speakers: Michaël De Laet, Head of Team, Europol Learn more: Report: Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA) Tips & advice to prevent ransomware from infecting your electronic devices

Offenders involved in child sexual exploitation are swiftly adapting to new technologies, broadening their criminal activities, increasing opportunities for abuse, and making the exchange of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) more efficient and lucrative. The exploitation of AI and E2EE platforms by these offenders, as well as by online extortion communities, presents serious threats to children and society at large. CSAM is one of the key threats highlighted in our annual Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA). To find out more, tune in to this episode on the new technologies and monetisation of CSAM, as told by our Europol experts. Speakers: Danny van Althuis, Head of Team, Europol Learn more: Report: Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA) Europol's work on threats against minors Help4U portal

In the rapidly evolving cybercrime landscape, a wide variety of enablers facilitate illicit activities. These range from resilient dark web marketplaces, the use of cryptocurrencies as payment methods, to multi-layered infrastructures designed to avoid detection. These enablers are becoming increasingly resilient, adaptable, and sophisticated. Cybercrime enablers are one of the key threats highlighted in our annual Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA). To find out more, tune in to this episode on the intricacies of cybercrime enablers, as told by our Europol experts. Speakers: Edvardas Šileris, Head of the European Cybercrime Centre, Europol Marijn Schuurbiers, Head of Unit, Europol Learn more: Report: Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA)