Genesis Market: 24 arrests in FBI-led sting to smash online shop selling stolen data

Twenty-four people have been arrested in the UK in an international operation to shut down an online marketplace selling millions of pieces of stolen personal information.

Genesis Market was described as a “go-to service” for criminals seeking to defraud victims.

Hosting around 80 million credentials stolen from over two million people, it was taken offline following an operation across 17 countries led by the FBI and Dutch National Police.

The National Crime Agency arrested 24 people in 31 raids across the UK on Tuesday, April 4.

24 people were arrested across the UK. Credits: NCA

Among the arrests were two men, aged 34 and 36, who were detained in Grimsby on suspicion of Computer Misuse Act and fraud offences.

Rob Jones, of the NCA, said: “Behind every cyber criminal or fraudster is the technical infrastructure that provides them with the tools to execute their attacks and the means to benefit financially from their offending.

“Genesis Market was a prime example of such a service and was one of the most significant platforms on the criminal market. Its removal will be a huge blow to criminals across the globe.”

Genesis Market sold “bots” that contained information hacked from victims’ devices for as little as 56p.

Genesis Market was seized by the FBI. Credits: NCA

They enabled criminals to access personal information from users in real time, meaning the buyers would be notified of any password changes.

The information could then be used to steal money directly, or to fraudulently pay for goods and services.

Mr Jones added: “Cyber ​​crime is a key enabler of the vast majority of fraud, which is now the single largest crime type in the UK, affecting more people than any other.

“It’s therefore extremely important that our response to these two threats is a collaborative effort at both an international and national level.”


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