Two Russian nationals have been charged with running a massive money laundering network that processed billions through cryptocurrency exchanges, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced. These exchanges, including Cryptex and Joker’s Stash, enabled criminals to bypass regulations and funnel funds from fraud, ransomware, and darknet activities. U.S. authorities, in collaboration with international law enforcement ..read more

A Nigerian national has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for his role in a massive darknet fraud scheme that intended to cause over $6 million in losses, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Using various online aliases, Kaura led a global network selling stolen payment card data, using cryptocurrencies like ..read more

According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the operator of the darknet marketplace Incognito was apprehended at John F. Kennedy Airport on May 18. Law enforcement officials claim Rui-Siang Lin allegedly constructed the DNM and facilitated the sale of over $100 million worth of illegal drugs through the platform. Federal Authorities Nab Alleged Darknet ..read more

Numerous reports have detailed that a darknet marketplace (DNM) by the name of Tor2door reportedly pulled off an exit scam, making off with a “massive crypto escrow balance.” Discontent began brewing among Tor2door users when the site vanished from the deep web on September 14, 2023, as per narratives emerging from individuals on the DNM forum Dread. Tor2door’s Alleged Exit Scam Sends Ripples Through DNM Communities This week several accounts have surfaced, pointing to a potential exit scam by the Darknet Marketplace (DNM) known as Tor2door, leaving its users and vendors high and dry. The rev ..read more

It’s been an action-packed week in the world of finance and crypto, and moving into July, there’s a lot to cover to get up to speed: compromised Chatgpt accounts being sold on darknet markets, Bitcoin Cash’s hashrate shooting upward with the BCH price, a North Korean analyst weighing in on threats to U.S. dollar dominance, and much more. This is the Bitcoin.com News Week in Review. North Korean Analyst Warns of Accelerating End to Dollar Dominance — Says BRICS Poses Challenge to US Hegemony A North Korean analyst has cautioned that the actions taken by the U.S. to restrict the usage of the d ..read more

Cybersecurity researchers have found tens of thousands of devices storing Chatgpt credentials that have been infected with info-stealing malware. The account details have ended up being sold on the dark web, they said, pointing out that the Asia-Pacific leads by number of such offers. Increase of Compromised Accounts Testifies to the Growing Popularity of Chatgpt, Experts Say Singapore-based cybersecurity firm Group-IB has identified 101,134 stealer-infected devices with saved Chatgpt credentials over the past year. The compromised accounts were found within the logs of info-stealing malware ..read more

On May 2, 2023, Europol announced a collaborative effort between law enforcement agencies from the U.S., Europe, the U.K., and Brazil culminated in 288 arrests, along with the confiscation of 850 kg of illegal drugs, 117 firearms, and $53.4 million in cash and cryptocurrencies. This joint venture, named “Operation Spector,” successfully dismantled the darknet marketplace (DNM) Monopoly Market and confiscated its infrastructure back in December 2021. Monopoly Market Taken Down via a Consortium of Global Law Enforcement Officials The U.S. Justice Department and Europol reveal that officials fro ..read more

Russian crypto traders have been looking to obtain unrestricted accounts for global exchanges as their access to such platforms is limited. Over the past year, the offering of such accounts on the dark web has increased significantly, cybersecurity experts told the Russian press. Supply of Crypto Exchange Accounts for Russian Users Doubles in a Year of Sanctions More and more ready-to-use accounts for cryptocurrency exchanges are being sold to Russian residents. While this is not a new phenomenon — such accounts are often employed by fraudsters and money launderers — the current growth in sup ..read more

Law enforcement authorities from over a dozen countries in Europe and North America have taken part in disrupting the activities of the Hive ransomware group, the U.S. Justice Department and Europol announced. Hive is believed to have targeted various organizations worldwide in the past couple of years, often extorting payments in cryptocurrency. Captured Decryption Keys Helped Hive Victims Avoid Paying $130 Million in Ransom Ransomware network Hive, which has had around 1,500 victims in more than 80 countries, has been hit in a months-long disruption campaign, the U.S. Department of Justice ..read more

A leading marketplace on the dark web, Solaris, has been hit by a rival, according to crypto analytics company Elliptic. The Russia-linked platform, which tried to occupy space vacated by the busted Hydra, is believed to have conquered up to a fifth of the illicit market before the hack. Solaris Allegedly Taken Over by Darknet Marketplace Called Kraken Solaris, a major marketplace for drugs and other illicit products, has been targeted in a hacking attack carried out by a similar enterprise, Kraken, not to be confused with the well-known cryptocurrency exchange with the same name. After in Ap ..read more