Criminals across Europe and beyond are harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrencies to supercharge their illegal activities, a new report from the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) reveals.
Released on March 18, the Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA) shows how these cutting-edge technologies allow lawbreakers to work faster, smarter, and with less risk of detection, creating a major challenge for police forces.
Europol’s findings highlight AI’s impact on crime. Lawbreakers use generative AI to churn out phishing emails, draft scam messages in various languages, and whip up fake videos or audio known as deepfakes.
These tools help fraudsters impersonate people, blackmail victims, or swipe personal information with frightening accuracy. AI-powered voice cloning and live video deepfakes take these threats to another level, making fraud, extortion, and identity theft even more effective.
Deepfakes in Europe
During the Slovak parliamentary election in October 2023, a deepfake audio recording surfaced just two days before voting. The audio falsely depicted Michal Šimečka, leader of the Progressive Slovakia party, discussing plans to rig the election, including buying votes from the Roma minority, and proposing to double the price of beer.
In August 2023, during Poland’s national election campaign, the Civic Platform party used AI-generated clips of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki’s voice, mixed with real footage, in their advertisements. These clips lacked disclaimers, leading to public criticism.
In February 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron publicized the AI Action Summit in Paris using deepfake videos. These showed him edited into scenes from popular films, intended as a creative promotion. While some found it entertaining, others criticized it as inappropriate for a public official, sparking debate about the responsible use of deepfake technology.
A deepfake video featuring former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi promoted a fake investment plan on Instagram, convincing around 45 Italians to follow the fraudulent advice. This case exemplifies the use of deepfakes for financial scams targeting European citizens.
Catherine De Bolle, Europol’s Executive Director, describes cybercrime as a high-stakes digital fight targeting governments, businesses, and ordinary citizens. She points out that AI-driven attacks strike with greater precision and destruction than ever before. Some of these attacks blend profit motives with efforts to sow chaos, often linked to state-supported or ideological agendas.
Europol revealed that even low-skill criminals now pull off elaborate schemes that once demanded expert knowledge, thanks to AI’s ability to simplify complex tasks. The technology streamlines everything from creating malware to altering existing images into child sexual abuse material, amplifying the damage criminals can do.
Read also: Here’s how much of the Bybit hack is still traceable.
Crypto enhancing the menace
Cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, and digital assets, such as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), are also playing a bigger role. Once tied mostly to online crime, these blockchain-based tools now power traditional offenses like drug trafficking, human smuggling, and money laundering.
Their secretive, hard-to-track design makes it nearly impossible for police to follow the cash. Criminals also create clever ways to steal crypto or take over systems that mine it.
It has become hard for law enforcement agencies to keep up with this new development, Europol said. Despite adapting to these new threats, authorities only manage to grab about two percent of criminals’ profits—a small dent compared to the soaring scale of tech-driven crime.
The agency warns that quantum computing could soon break today’s encryption, leaving current security useless. Even more startling, fully independent criminal networks run by AI, with no human involvement, might one day emerge.
“Criminals adopt new tech faster than we can imagine,” said De Bolle. “AI isn’t just a tool for them—it’s a game-changer that makes crime easier and more efficient.” She sees the report as a loud warning, urging police to sharpen their skills and team up across borders.
SOCTA points to real examples: deepfakes trick people into handing over money, while blockchain tech shuttles laundered funds across countries. Scammers target new investors jumping into cryptocurrency funds, and companies holding large crypto reserves become prime marks for fraudsters.
Still, Europol pushes for action. Police forces in Europe are boosting their tech know-how and working together globally to fight back. De Bolle stresses that authorities need to ramp up their efforts and build stronger defenses against AI-powered crime.
The report, one of Europol’s most thorough yet, guides lawmakers and police toward the biggest risks. It zeroes in on major crime areas like cyberattacks, online scams, child exploitation, migrant smuggling, drug and gun trafficking, and illegal waste dumping.
It also looks ahead to future challenges, like the metaverse and lightning-fast 6G networks, which could make stopping criminals even tougher.
As technology speeds ahead, Europol’s message rings loud: criminals won’t slow down, and law enforcement can’t afford to either.
