Press release no. 11/2026
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The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has played an important role in supporting the operation code-named Coal of the Alps (Carbone delle Alpi), which uncovered a complex cross-border scheme involving systemic circumvention of EU’s waste legislation. The case exposed a sophisticated criminal network active in Italy, Austria, Germany, Croatia, Serbia and Switzerland. It was led by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Trento, and coordinated by the District Anti-Mafia and Anti-Terrorism Directorate and in close cooperation with Carabinieri – in particular Nucleo Operativo Ecologico di Trento, other Italian authorities, Europol, Eurojust and national authorities across Member States.
OLAF’s analytical work and information-sharing were instrumental in mapping cross-border flows of pyro-gasification ashes and derived products. These were placed on the EU…
These frauds exploit emotional vulnerability and trust rather than technical weaknesses.
- Romance Scams: Scammers build long-term online relationships with victims, eventually fabricating a “crisis” (medical emergency, legal trouble, or travel costs) that requires the victim to send money.
- Pig Butchering: A hybrid scam where the criminal builds a romantic or platonic relationship to eventually “tutor” the victim in a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment.