Held by the Council of Europe, the Octopus Conference is one of the largest and most prominent global platforms for exchange on cybercrime, bringing together experts from more than 100 countries, international organizations, the private sector, academia and civil society.

The 2026 event marks the 25th anniversary of the Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention). The agenda will provide a strategic forum to address emerging challenges such as:

• The impact of artificial intelligence on cybercrime

• The phenomenon of disinformation

• The prosecution of cyber-enabled international crimes

• The continued importance of conditions and safeguards to ensure respect for human rights and the rule of law

Erin West at the Octopus Conference

Operation Shamrock’s Erin West will moderate a discussion about human trafficking and scam compounds for the main session on October 15. Large-scale online scams are no longer just a cybercrime problem. Increasingly, they are run by organized crime groups that rely on victims working in purpose-built scam compounds, generating enormous criminal profits and causing widespread social harm.

Learn more about the session and panelists.

This session explores how these operations are evolving into a broader security threat, with growing links to corruption, regional instability, and other forms of serious crime.

Although registration is closed, the October 15 is scheduled to be live-streamed and recorded. Please visit the event website for more information.