International law enforcement, led by the FBI, has taken down Genesis Market, a shady web marketplace popular with cybercriminals.
This was announced on Wednesday by the US Department of Treasury and State Department, as well as the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA).
A senior FBI official said arrests had been made in the United States, but did not give details.
The Genesis investigation is still ongoing.
British authorities said the operation, led by the FBI and the Dutch National Police, involved 17 countries. There were around 120 arrests, more than 200 searches and nearly 100 “preventive measures”.
The NCA estimated that the service stole around 80 million credentials and fingerprints from more than 2 million people.
Deputy Justice Department director Lisa Monaco said many forum users were arrested on Tuesday.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has taken action against Genesis Market, one of the largest illegal markets in the world, for stealing and selling device identifiers and related sensitive information.
“Genesis Market gains unauthorized access to victims’ devices and offers stolen data, including usernames and passwords, for sale,” Treasury said in a statement. “These actions have been coordinated with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and international partners in a dozen countries who are taking enforcement action against Genesis Market users in multiple jurisdictions and seizing website domains related to Genesis Market.”
A statement by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, released by the State Department, notes that Genesis Market operates from Russia, selling credentials stolen from major US companies and facilitating cybercrime against them.
The United States urged all American businesses to remain vigilant and improve their security and resilience in the face of growing cyber threats.
