In a major global crackdown, Europol has targeted “The Com,” a notorious and decentralized online collective responsible for high-profile ransomware, extortion, and physical violence.

The operation, codenamed Project Compass, was launched in January 2025 and involved law enforcement from 28 countries.

Key Results of Project Compass

• Arrests and Identifications: Authorities have arrested 30 members of the group and fully or partially identified 179 perpetrators.
• Victim Protection: The operation identified up to 62 victims and successfully safeguarded four individuals from further harm.
• High-Profile Targets: The group is linked to major 2025 ransomware attacks against Marks & Spencer, The Co-op, and Harrods, as well as the 2023 attacks on Las Vegas casinos.

Profile of “The Com”

• Demographics: The network consists primarily of teenagers and young adults who are often recruited and radicalized via social media, gaming platforms, and messaging apps.
• Tactics: They utilize sophisticated social engineering, including phishing, vishing, and SIM swapping, to gain account access and breach corporate networks.
• Violent Extremism: Beyond cybercrime, the group is notorious for “physical acts of violence,” including swatting and physical assault, and has increasingly linked with Russian cyber-criminal gangs and nihilistic extremist groups like 764.
• Exploitation: The collective is heavily involved in the extortion and coercion of minors, often using sensitive material to blackmail vulnerable victims.

Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) continues to coordinate with international partners, including the Five Eyes, to dismantle these sprawling, technology-driven criminal enterprises.