Albanian law enforcement authorities, in cooperation with the US, seized the malicious marketplace Rydox and arrested three administrators.
The three Kosovo suspects, Ardit Kutleshi, Jetmir Kutleshi and Shpend Sokoli, were arrested on Thursday by Kosovo authorities and Albania's Special Anti-Corruption Unit (SPAK). The U.S. Department of Justice has charged the first two with involvement in Rydox's operations and they await extradition to the United States.
Ardit Kutleshi and Jetmir Kutleshi face multiple charges related to the management of the Rydox marketplace, including identity theft, conspiracy to commit identity theft, device access, and money laundering.
See also: Russia: Life imprisonment for the leader of the dark web market Hydra Market
Since February 2016, Rydox marketplace sellers have participated in more than 7,600 sales of credit card, login credentials, and personal information (e.g., Social Security numbers, names, and addresses stolen from thousands of U.S. citizens).
Rydox also offered more than 321,000 other “cybercrime products” to more than 18,000 users. These products include tools and materials for committing cybercrime, such as tutorials and spam tools.
According to the indictment, registered users were required to deposit an amount of crypto into their accounts before making a purchase via Perfect Money, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin (“BTC”), Monero, Ripple, Tron or Verge.
Rydox also charged registered users a one-time fee (ranging from $200 to $500) to become an authorized seller. Rydox authorized sellers received 60% of the sales revenue, while the marketplace kept 40% of each sale.
See also: US: Seizure of malicious marketplace PopeyeTools
The United States has obtained court authorization to seize the Rydox[.]cc domain, which was used to access the malicious marketplace. The FBI, with the help of the Royal Malaysian Police, seized servers in Kuala Lumpur that hosted the illegal marketplace Rydox. It then took the website offline.
The United States also obtained court authorization to seize approximately $225,000 in cryptocurrencies from the accounts of the arrested administrators.
The police operation was carried out with the assistance of the FBI's Pittsburgh Office, the Albanian National Bureau of Investigation (BKH), the Albanian Cybercrime Investigation Directorate, the Kosovo Special Prosecution Office, the Kosovo Police, and the Malaysian Royal Police.
“The Rydox marketplace was a one-stop shop where more than 18,000 criminal customers could choose from more than 300,000 cybercrime tools,” U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan.
Closing other malicious purchases
A few days ago, German authorities seized more than 50 servers hosting the malicious Manson Market , which was used by cybercriminals. Earlier, Germany also took down the “ Crimenetwork ”, the country’s largest online marketplace used by criminals to buy and sell drugs, stolen data and illegal services (e.g. document forgery). Authorities also arrested the platform’s administrator.
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See also: HuiOne Guarantee: Marketplace used by cybercriminals
The successful dismantling of Crimenetwork, Manson Market and Rydox is a significant victory in the ongoing fight against organized crime. It not only disrupts criminal networks, but also sends a strong message that law enforcement agencies are determined to combat criminals.
However, it is important to recognize that this operation is only one step in the fight against crime. Criminals will always find new ways to adapt and evade authorities. By remaining vigilant, authorities can continue to have a significant impact in disrupting these criminal networks and keeping communities safe.
Source: www.bleepingcomputer.com
