750,000 euros in damages

€750,000 in Damages: How a Vienna Darknet Boss Was Caught

On the dark web, “Inko1” pulled the strings—fake IDs were even sold internationally.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Landespolizeidirektion Wien)

A major cell phone heist using fake IDs: Using more than 200 stolen identities, a gang led by a man from Vienna opened bank accounts and ordered luxury cell phones. But the scheme extended far beyond Austria—the key lead, in fact, pointed to the international dark web.

It all began with a blue Austrian ID card. The name and date of birth appeared genuine—but the face on it suddenly kept popping up again and again. Under completely different identities. What initially looked like a few forged documents ultimately turned out, for investigators at the Vienna State Criminal Police Office, to be a sophisticated fraud network with connections to the dark web. The damage: at least 750,000 euros.

More than 200 bank accounts are said to have been opened using stolen identities. Using the fake IDs, the perpetrators ordered the most expensive smartphones they could get their hands on. “Each order was worth about 3,000 to 4,000 euros,” explains investigator Robert Meusburger. 

On the dark web, “Inko1” pulled the strings—fake IDs were even sold internationally.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Landespolizeidirektion Wien)

Expensive Cell Phones Under Other People’s Names
The scheme was as simple as it was brazen. Bank accounts were opened using forged IDs, after which contracts were signed with cell phone providers and multiple high-priced iPhones and Android devices were ordered. “Runners” then picked up the merchandise. The masterminds behind the operation are said to have remained hidden. Recruiters drove the runners to banks and pickup locations, waited for them, and then collected the cell phones and documents.

The gang’s network.(Bild: Landespolizeidirektion Wien)

The trail led to the dark web
Then a name emerged: “Inko1.” Under this alias, one of the alleged ringleaders is said to have been active on the dark web. On the German platform “Crime Network,” he is said to have actively advertised counterfeit IDs—priced at around 600 euros each. The Austrian is also said to have specifically sought out couriers in Vienna there. Their task: to open bank accounts using the fake identities. Some of the completed bank accounts were then resold on the dark web.

German authorities provided the crucial lead. After the dark web platform “Crime Network” was shut down, data from the platform made its way to Austrian investigators. “Inko1” had apparently made a major mistake with a crypto account: he uploaded a copy of his real ID. Suddenly, the police had a concrete lead.

The network was highly organized
Chat logs are said to show how the group was organized with a clear division of labor. According to police findings, there were three alleged key figures: “Inko1” as the seller, a forger, and an assistant who is said to have processed, cut to size, and mailed documents. Below them were recruiters and couriers. According to investigators, some came from the drug scene, and at least three individuals are believed to have been homeless. 

Test purchases on the dark web, surveillance, and wiretaps followed. Eventually, the alleged ringleader made a crucial mistake: outside a bank branch, he was photographed alongside a courier while opening an account—along with his vehicle and license plate. Later, DNA was also found on an envelope from a test purchase conducted by investigators. In August 2025, “Inko1” was finally taken into custody.

I assume there’s someone else above “Inko1,” but that person isn’t here in Austria.

Robert Meusburger, zuständiger Ermittler des Landeskriminalamts Wien

 Forgery Workshop in the 21st DistrictBut the work was far from over with his arrest. On seized cell phones and computers, investigators found an enormous amount of data and uncovered additional suspected masterminds. In March of this year, the next major breakthrough finally followed. In an apartment in Floridsdorf, investigators discovered equipment used to produce professional-grade IDs: a hydraulic press, a laser device, epoxy resin, and other materials for processing the cards.

These devices were used to forge the ID cards.(Bild: Landespolizeidirektion Wien)

A total of twelve arrests were made in the course of the investigation; according to the police, 15 people have already been convicted. The three alleged ringleaders—all around 40 years old and with no prior criminal records—are in pretrial detention, according to investigators. They have refused to make a statement. All defendants are presumed innocent. And even after the extensive investigation, one crucial question remains unanswered for the police: Was “Inko1” actually the head of the network? Meusburger, in any case, believes it’s possible that the ties extend even further. And another mastermind is based outside Austria…