The FBI’s Cyber Division announced Operation Winter SHIELD, a campaign pairing federal investigators with industry partners to detect and disrupt cyber fraud during a seasonal uptick in online crime. The initiative emphasizes information sharing, proactive disruption, and guidance to enterprises and consumers to reduce losses from phishing, malware, and large‑scale fraud campaigns.

The FBI Cyber Division unveiled Operation Winter SHIELD, a coordinated campaign designed to strengthen public‑private defenses against a seasonal surge in cyber fraud, phishing, and financially motivated malware. The initiative brings together federal investigators, industry partners, and other stakeholders to enhance threat detection, intelligence sharing, and rapid disruption of criminal infrastructures that enable mass scams. Key elements include real‑time information exchange with private sector platform and financial partners, proactive takedowns of phishing and malware distribution networks, and dissemination of guidance to help businesses and consumers harden systems and recognize social engineering tactics. Operation Winter SHIELD targets schemes that exploit high‑volume periods—holiday spending and year‑end financial activity—when attackers intensify efforts to monetize stolen credentials and deploy ransomware or botnets. The campaign signals a sustained emphasis on collaborative disruption as a force multiplier for law enforcement, aiming to reduce scam losses and impede the money‑laundering chains that follow major cyber fraud operations.