Parallel Session 6 – Emerging Trends in the landscape of High-Risk Criminal Networks

Moderators:

• Michael WILL, Europol, EMPACT SG2 Coordinator
• Irina SLABU, Ministry of Internal Affairs - Directorate General of Human Resources Management, Romania

Panellists:

• Apostolos KAPSALIS, Police Warrant Officer - Greece

Criminal Networks in Greece that commit computer frauds using phishing

This bulletin aims to analyze the patterns and factors behind the growing phenomenon of "vishing" (voice phishing) in Greece, a type of fraud leveraging technology and social engineering to exploit victims and extract sensitive information. The methodology includes examining real cases where criminals approached victims by posing as trusted entities, such as public service employees or companies, convincing them to provide access to bank credentials through deceptive phone calls or fraudulent links. Recent trends following the 2010-2020 economic crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic indicate that these criminal networks have adapted their methods, targeting vulnerable groups -primarily older adults - by taking advantage of social aid policies and the increasing use of digital banking. 

Key findings reveal that vishing crimes are systematically organized, with distinct roles ranging from leaders to money mules within criminal organizations. Through a combination of persuasive techniques, such as mimicry of legitimate websites and manipulation via phone, these networks illicitly access bank accounts, transferring funds into accounts controlled by the perpetrators. The research highlights the sophistication of vishing tactics and the challenges law enforcement faces in dismantling such structured criminal networks.  

• Gabriela BONEVA, Research Fellow - CENTRIC, Sheffield Hallam University - United Kingdom

New Psychoactive Substances: The Current EU Landscape 

New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) pose a growing global public threat and an ever-changing and complex scenario for law enforcement efforts. Due to their ambiguous legal status across Europe and beyond, they are designed to replace traditional controlled drugs while evading detection measures. Each year, hundreds of new substances are detected and monitored by the EU Early Warning System (EWS). Nevertheless, there remains a limited knowledge base available for NPS. The current understanding of the public health threats posed by NPS is limited, predominantly due to their continually changing chemical composition. Due to these chemical modifications, traditional detection methods are unlikely to detect NPS, further challenging the tracking and control of NPS by Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs).

In this paper we review the available literature on the current criminological landscape for NPS, ranging from their prevalence, detection-resistance concealment methods, criminal modus operandi, their presence online, as well as the potential health impacts on society. This work is supplemented by data collected through consultations with subject-matter experts, conducted as part of a European project that attempts to combat the illicit drugs trafficking chain. From this picture, we identify gaps related to the knowledge and capability needs of LEAs in relation to NPS and formulate recommendations for future work.  

• Kristjan KASK, School of Natural Sciences and Health - Tallinn University - Estonia

Transfer of Avatar Training Effects to Mock Investigative Interviews with Adult Witnesses

Interviewing witnesses is a delicate and complex process that must follow certain principles. Previous studies have noted that investigative interviews with adult victims and witnesses are often of low quality. Research also suggests that interviewing skills improve when the interviewers are given feedback on their performance. We have created a web-based software Adult Witness Avatars (AWA) to simulate investigative interviews with adult victims and witnesses which would help interviewers train question types that will allow the witnesses to recall more accurate accounts. We examined whether avatar interviews coupled with feedback (vs. no feedback) would result in improvements in interview quality of real-life mock witnesses. Half of the 58 participants received process feedback after each of four simulated interviews. 

The avatars revealed pre-defined memories and made errors as a function of algorithms formulated based on previous empirical research on the response behaviour of adult witnesses in experimental studies. Results show that receiving feedback after the simulated interviews increased the proportion of recommended questions (i.e. free recall and open questions) in real-life mock interviews compared to not receiving feedback (67% vs 49%, respectively). Future steps and implications for this type of software in training investigative interviewing skills will be discussed. 

• Pasquale DANESE, Lieutenant Colonel - Guardia di Finanza - Economic and Financial Police - Italy

VAT Fraud, False Invoicing, and the Evolution of Associated Money Laundering Dynamics

VAT fraud, false invoicing, and money laundering reveal increasingly close connections with the activities of organised crime, presenting complex operational challenges in identifying the intersections between illicit economic-financial phenomena and criminal structures. Within this context, money laundering evolves through progressively sophisticated methodologies, giving rise to new paradigms that disrupt the “classic” archetype of the three-stage model: “placement-layering-integration”. Can the traditional model still be considered valid, or does it require reformulation in light of the increasingly innovative practices adopted by criminal organisations?  

This study, starting from a contextual analysis of the operations of criminal organisations in the globalised economy, aims to answer this question by developing, with the aid of artificial intelligence tools, a specific mathematical function capable of outlining the main trends in money laundering and exploring the challenges posed by a phenomenon as pervasive as it is protean.  

The connection between false invoicing, money laundering, and organised crime emerges as a pivotal issue in the fight against criminal organisations. These entities exploit such practices not only to finance their illicit activities but also to infiltrate the legal economy, undermining the foundations of legality and social equity.