CyberSecurity news
FlagThis - #lawenforcement
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@techcrunch.com - 17d
A global police operation involving agencies from Europe, Japan, the U.S., and the U.K. has successfully seized the dark web leak site of the 8Base ransomware gang. The takedown message displayed on the site was confirmed as legitimate by Lucy Sneddon, a spokesperson for the U.K.’s National Crime Agency. While the U.K. played a supportive role, other involved agencies have not yet commented. Security researchers first noticed the seizure notice earlier this week.
This operation is part of a larger effort targeting ransomware gangs. In a related development, authorities have arrested four suspected Phobos ransomware hackers in Phuket, Thailand. These individuals are accused of conducting cyberattacks on over 1,000 victims worldwide and extorting $16,000,000 worth of Bitcoin. The operation, codenamed "Phobos Aetor," involved raids across multiple locations. Recommended read:
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Alex Lekander@CyberInsider - 86d
An international operation, codenamed 'Operation Passionflower', has successfully dismantled MATRIX, a highly secure encrypted messaging platform used by cybercriminals. Dutch and French police, working in collaboration with Europol and Eurojust, conducted months of surveillance before taking down the platform. The operation resulted in the arrests of two key suspects—a Lithuanian and a 30-year-old Dutchman—in Spain, along with the seizure of servers in France and Germany. Authorities also confiscated significant assets, including €145,000 in cash, €500,000 in cryptocurrency, luxury vehicles, and real estate valued at over €15 million.
The MATRIX platform, also known as Q-Safe, facilitated criminal activities such as drug and arms trafficking, and money laundering. Investigators intercepted approximately 2.3 million messages in 33 languages from roughly 8,000 accounts worldwide. Police officials highlighted the complexity of the MATRIX infrastructure, noting that it was more sophisticated than previous encrypted services like Sky and Encro, leading criminals to believe their communications were untraceable. The investigation, spurred by the 2021 murder of Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries, utilized advanced digital technology and data analysis techniques to identify and track users. This takedown underscores the ongoing international efforts to combat cybercrime and disrupt criminal networks. The operation highlights the effectiveness of international cooperation and sophisticated investigative techniques in dismantling encrypted communication platforms used for illegal activities. Police warn that further arrests are possible as the investigation continues. The success of Operation Passionflower serves as a warning to criminals relying on seemingly impenetrable encrypted services; law enforcement possesses the capabilities to penetrate even the most advanced security measures. Recommended read:
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@www.justice.gov - 26d
U.S. and Dutch law enforcement agencies have jointly dismantled a network of 39 domains and associated servers used in Business Email Compromise (BEC) fraud operations. The operation, codenamed "Operation Heart Blocker," took place on January 29th and targeted the infrastructure of a group known as "The Manipulaters," which also went by the name Saim Raza. This group operated online marketplaces originating from Pakistan, selling phishing toolkits, scam pages, email extractors, and fraud-enabling tools. The services marketed were utilized by transnational organized crime groups in the US who used these tools to target various victims with BEC schemes. These attacks tricked victim companies into making fraudulent payments which are estimated to have caused over $3 million in losses.
The seized domains and servers contained millions of records, including at least 100,000 pertaining to Dutch citizens. "The Manipulaters" marketed their services under various brands, including Heartsender, Fudpage, and Fudtools which specialized in spam and malware dissemination. The U.S. Department of Justice stated that Saim Raza-run websites not only sold the tools, but they also provided training to end users through instructional videos on how to execute schemes using the malicious programs, making them accessible to those without the technical expertise. The service was estimated to have thousands of customers. The tools were used to acquire victim user credentials which were then utilized to further the fraudulent schemes. Users can check to see if they were impacted by credential theft via a Dutch Police website. Recommended read:
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info@thehackernews.com (The Hacker News)@The Hacker News - 87d
Interpol's Operation HAECHI V, a five-month international operation involving 40 countries, has resulted in a major blow to global cybercrime. More than 5,500 suspects were arrested, and over $400 million in assets, including virtual assets and government-backed currencies, were seized. The operation targeted a wide range of financial crimes, such as voice phishing, romance scams, sextortion, business email compromise (BEC), and investment fraud. This success highlights the growing need for international cooperation in combating cybercrime's borderless nature.
The operation's success is largely attributed to the collaboration between law enforcement agencies across 40 countries, territories, and regions. Interpol's Global Rapid Intervention of Payments (I-GRIP) initiative played a crucial role in tracking and intercepting the stolen funds. A significant achievement was the joint dismantling of a large voice phishing syndicate in East Asia by Korean and Beijing authorities, which had defrauded over 1,900 victims of $1.1 billion. This syndicate used tactics such as impersonating law enforcement officials and employing counterfeit identification. Operation HAECHI V also led to increased awareness of emerging cryptocurrency fraud techniques, specifically the USDT Token Approval Scam. Interpol issued a Purple Notice warning member countries about this new scam, where criminals use romance-themed baits to trick victims into authorizing access to their wallets. Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza emphasized the devastating impact of cybercrime and underscored the importance of continued international cooperation to combat this growing threat. The operation's success demonstrates the potential of collaborative efforts in making both the real and digital worlds safer. Recommended read:
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Pierluigi Paganini@Security Affairs - 85d
German authorities have shut down Crimenetwork, the country's largest online criminal marketplace, resulting in the arrest of a 29-year-old suspected technical administrator. Operating since 2012, the platform facilitated the sale of illegal goods and services, including drugs, forged documents, hacking tools, and stolen data. The takedown, which involved seizing expensive vehicles and approximately €1 million in digital assets, represents a significant blow to cybercrime in the German-speaking region. Crimenetwork boasted over 100,000 users and more than 100 sellers before its closure, generating millions of dollars in cryptocurrency transactions between 2018 and 2024.
The arrested administrator is suspected of drug trafficking and is currently in custody. Police obtained extensive user and transaction data during raids, suggesting further arrests may follow. The operation highlights the ongoing global effort to combat online criminal marketplaces and underscores the significant financial gains generated by such platforms. The success of this operation, alongside recent crackdowns on similar platforms such as MATRIX and PopeyeTools, shows the increased global cooperation in combating online crime. Recommended read:
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