Two suspects were arrested as part of an international operation aimed at dismantling JokerOTP, a phishing tool responsible for stealing over £7.5 million through the interception of two-factor authentication (2FA) codes.

The arrests took place on April 22, 2025, in Middlesbrough, England, and Oost-Brabant, the Netherlands, following a comprehensive three-year investigation by the Cyber Crime Unit of Cleveland Police.

This investigation involved collaboration with the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit, the National Crime Agency, and Europol, highlighting a unified effort to combat this sophisticated cybercrime.

The suspects now face multiple charges, including fraud, conspiracy, money laundering, and unauthorized access to computer material.

Fraudsters behind JokerOTP impersonated representatives from trusted organizations, tricking victims into providing their one-time passwords or 2FA codes to gain unauthorized access to their accounts.

Detective Sergeant Kevin Carter confirmed that these phishing attacks resulted in significant financial losses, impacting users' accounts by an estimated $10 million.

The JokerOTP tool has reportedly been used in over 28,000 phishing attempts across at least 13 countries, contributing to a substantial wave of financial fraud.

JokerOTP is part of a broader trend of Phishing-as-a-Service tools that have been fueling an increase in cybercrime incidents.

Authorities are actively dismantling the online infrastructure that supports JokerOTP by collaborating with hosting companies to shut down the bot platform.

In light of these developments, the FBI has issued an alert regarding the rise of phishing and 2FA bypass attacks, urging the public to remain vigilant online.

The Dutch National Police joined the investigation in 2024, providing essential expertise that contributed to the success of the operation.

Detective Sergeant Kevin Carter characterized this investigation as one of the largest cases of computer misuse and fraud handled by Cleveland Police, emphasizing the extensive collaboration with various law enforcement agencies.