Police Operation Targets Crypto Fraud Network, Losses Top €8.4 million

Bratislava, 7 July - The Slovak police, in cooperation with the Czech police and Europol, recently carried out an international operation codenamed Midas, targeting fraudulent online investment platforms (SEIF FINANCE, SEIF GROUP, SEIF DAO and CRYPTO CARTEL) and call centres that were promoting supposedly lucrative investments in cryptocurrencies and NFTs. The promised investments were never made, and the losses suffered by the 1,125 victims identified so far exceed €8.4 million, Police Corps Presidium spokesperson Roman Hajek told TASR on Tuesday. During the operation, officers carried out house searches and raids on other premises at several locations in Bratislava and Sered (Trnava region). They detained 11 people and seized assets including luxury vehicles, high-end watches and jewellery, collectible investment items such as gold coins and bullion, large numbers of laptops and mobile phones, cash and crypto-assets. "Four individuals have been charged in Slovakia, while four individuals and two legal entities have been charged in the Czech Republic. On 2 July 2026, a judge of the Specialised Criminal Court in Banska Bystrica ordered all four suspects charged in Slovakia to be remanded in custody," said Hajek. The case is being supervised by the Bratislava Regional Prosecutor's Office, with Europol and Eurojust closely involved in the investigation. The Slovak police have again urged the public to exercise increased caution and vigilance when investing their money. mf/df