EU agencies crack down on pandemic recovery fund fraud

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — European Union agencies are launching a year-long operation to crack down on fraud targeting the bloc’s multibillion euro COVID-19 pandemic recovery fund. The EU police agency Europol said Friday that Operation Sentinel will coordinate the fight against fraud, tax evasion, excise fraud, corruption, embezzlement, misappropriation and money laundering and and boost the exchange of information and intelligence. Europol has repeatedly warned about organized crime gangs seeking to cash in on the global pandemic in ways ranging from selling counterfeit COVID-19 tests to hacking computers as employees work from home.  the EU is now ratcheting up its vigilance as billions of euros are poured into economic recovery plans.