Borders are no barrier to growing cybercrime, and authorities must adapt

There has been an alarming increase in cybercrime in Latin America in recent years as technology continues to develop. From data theft to digital fraud: cybercrime is a threat that knows no borders.

The Police Community of the Americas (Ameripol) has played a key role in coordinating law enforcement efforts internationally to combat this growing trend, and a recent operation dismantled an international network dedicated to Crime as a Service (CaaS), in which cybercrime Criminals offer their computing capabilities as a service to other criminals.

InSight Crime spoke with Major Commander Gabriel Riveros, head of Ameripol’s Cyber ​​Crime Specialized Center (AC3), about the organization’s achievements and the challenges it faces in the fight against cybercrime in the region.

Insight Crime (IC): Why was Ameripol founded and how has it adapted to the needs of Latin America?

Gabriel Riveros (GR): Ameripol was founded in Bogotá in 2007 with the aim of adapting the Europol model approach to police cooperation to the specific realities and needs of Latin America. Here we face several threats, such as drug trafficking and now, increasingly, cybercrime. That’s why Ameripol has been working to coordinate joint actions and develop specialized strategies to counter these threats.

IC: Tell us about Ameripol’s specialized cybercrime center, known as AC3, and the work it does?

GR: AC3 is our specialized cybercrime center in Buenos Aires. Since I took over at the end of 2022, we have managed to coordinate several transnational cybercrime investigations. For example, Operation KAERB was a flagship case.

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IC: Can you explain what Operation KAERB consisted of and why it was so important?

GR: KAERB was a crucial operation because it targeted a crime model known as ‘crime as a service’, where technology platforms offer services to other criminals. This investigation focused on the physical theft of mobile phones, followed by unlocking the stolen devices through ‘phishing’ – using fake emails and sites to trick someone into providing their login details – and then reselling them .

IC: How does the crime as a service model work in these types of operations?

GR: In this case we clearly saw the division of roles between the physical and the digital world. The criminals would physically steal the cellphones in Spain, and then, using phishing, obtain the iCloud credentials to unlock them in Argentina.

IC: How does technology impact the spread of cybercrime?

GR: Cybercrime is expanding rapidly as technology allows criminals to operate anywhere in the world. It is like a new ‘Silk Road’ for criminals, who abuse digital platforms to expand their activities.

IC: What role did international cooperation play in the success of the KAERB operation?

GR: It was essential. KAERB was the first major cybercrime cooperation operation between Ameripol and Europol, involving several jurisdictions including Argentina, Spain and Ecuador. The partnership with Europol and the cooperation with the private sector, such as GROUP IB, enabled a comprehensive approach.

IC: What challenges did you face in coordinating the operation in different countries?

GR: Coordinating between different jurisdictions is always a challenge, but the key was building trust between the police forces of different countries. In KAERB, the Spanish security forces carried out raids on their territory, but thanks to the cooperation with Argentina we were able to dismantle the entire criminal structure.

IC: What lessons have been learned from KAERB for future cybercrime operations?

GR: The most important lesson is that we must rely more on transnational cooperation. It is also crucial to understand how these networks work. Without that trust and understanding of how the criminal structure worked in this case, we would not have been as successful.

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IC: What role does prevention play alongside law enforcement in the fight against cybercrime?

GR: Prevention is key. We can’t just focus on arrests and statistics, we must also work to educate society about the risks of cybercrime. Investing in public awareness is essential to reducing these crimes.

IC: How can the legal response to cybercrime in Latin America be improved?

GR: One of the problems we face is that much legislation has not yet been adapted to the crimes of the 21st century. In many cases we analyze modern criminal behavior with old laws. We need to update regulations to reflect the reality of cybercrime.

IC: Finally, what is the message for cybercriminals operating in the region?

GR: The message is clear: if we have the will and the necessary conditions, we can reach them wherever they operate in the world.

*This interview has been edited for clarity and fluency.

Featured image: Technology seized in Ecuador by Ameripol as part of an anti-cybercrime operation. Credit: Ameripol