The International Criminal Police Organization<\/a> (Interpol) is putting on its virtual reality headsets as it prepares to crack down on an expanding list of \u201cpossible crimes\u201d in the metaverse<\/a>. <\/p>\n According to an Oct. 20 announcement, Interpol has launched<\/a> the \u201cfirst ever Metaverse specifically designed for law enforcement worldwide\u201d \u2014 introducing it at the 90th Interpol General Assembly in New Delhi \u2014 already fully operational. <\/p>\n Interpol outlined that a key driver behind its jump into the metaverse is due to\u00a0bad actors already leveraging the tech<\/a> to conduct crimes, while public adoption rates are likely to significantly increase over the next few years. <\/p>\n \u201cCriminals are already starting to exploit the Metaverse. The World Economic Forum […] has warned that social engineering scams, violent extremism and misinformation could be particular challenges,\u201d the announcement reads, adding that:<\/p>\n \u201cAs the number of Metaverse users grows and the technology further develops, the list of possible crimes will only expand to potentially include crimes against children, data theft, money laundering, financial fraud, counterfeiting, ransomware, phishing, and sexual assault and harassment.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Notably, people have already been put behind bars for their actions in the metaverse. Last month, a South Korean man was sentenced<\/a> to four years in prison for sexually harassing children in the metaverse, and luring them to send lude photos and videos. <\/p>\n At the event in Delhi, Interpol also revealed plans to develop a division dedicated to cracking down on crypto crime<\/a>. Interpol secretary general J\u00fcrgen Stock highlighted the need for the specified unit, as many law enforcement agencies are not currently equipped to deal with the complexities of the sector. <\/p>\n The special director of India\u2019s Central Bureau of Investigations, Praveen Sinha, also noted that it has become increasingly difficult to monitor cybercrime due to its global nature and that coordination is a key factor that will make their efforts easier. <\/p>\n \u201cThe only answer is international cooperation, coordination, trust, and real-time sharing of information,\u201d Sinha said.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/s3.cointelegraph.com\/uploads\/2022-10\/48fccc49-ec2e-496d-a7b4-78ef77342991.jpg\")