The international operation of gigantic proportions, led by the Salzburg prosecutor’s office in Austria and SPAK in Albania, has destroyed a criminal “Call Center” network in Tirana.
The group is suspected of having profited over 50 million euros by defrauding European citizens, but what has made headlines in the international media is the use of the image of football star David Alaba to lure victims.
The scam used the identities of well-known figures such as Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and ORF presenters Armin Wolf and Nadja Bernhard, who promoted these investments in manipulated photos and fake videos.
For example, the Federal President is seen guaranteeing the investment and saying in the video: “Don’t waste time, act now.”
A monthly payment of 250,000 euros was promised for an initial payment of just 250 euros.
Former Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer, professional footballer David Alaba, former ski star Hermann Maier, TV presenters Armin Assinger and Mirjam Weichselbraun, as well as cabaret artist and “Willkommen Österreich” presenter Christoph Grissemann, also appeared in manipulated recordings (Deepfake).
Alaba, victim of “Deepfake” from Tirana
The criminals used artificial intelligence technology to create videos where the Real Madrid defender appeared to be urging his followers to invest in platforms like “Lion-Trade”.
By exploiting Alaba’s popularity and credibility in Austria and beyond, Call Centers in Tirana managed to extort amounts of up to millions of euros from citizens’ savings.
This operation, supported by Europol, has led to the arrest of dozens of people in Albania, while investigations are ongoing to discover whether there are other names from the world of sports involved without their will in this criminal scheme.
