European Police Agency Warns of Children Being Recruited by Organized Crime Networks

Europol has issued an intelligence notification warning of the danger of children being recruited by criminal networks across Europe. In the notification, Europol—which is the law enforcement agency of the European Union—warns that organized crime gangs are “mimicking” the language of social media influencers and turning criminal tasks into “gamification.” “Social media platforms with encrypted messaging features are abused by criminals so that they can operate with minimal visibility, enabling interactions that leave no digital trace and therefore reducing the risk of detection,” Europol said. The agency, which is based in the Netherlands, said: “Criminal recruiters often adopt language and communication styles similar to those of social media influencers....