Genesis Market sold the identities of over two million people for as little as $0.70, allowing hackers to target bank accounts and carry out online fraud, officials in several countries said.
Europol said the "unprecedented law enforcement operation" had taken down "one of the most dangerous marketplaces selling stolen account credentials to hackers worldwide." Britain's National Crime Agency said 24 people were arrested in Britain. Another 17 people were arrested in the Netherlands.People trying to access Genesis Market on Wednesday saw a screen saying, "This website has been seized" and "Operation Cookie Monster", along with a picture of a person in an FBI hoodie in front of a computer.Europol said the site offered "bots" for sale that had infected victims' devices through malware or other methods.
"Its accessibility and cheap prices greatly lowered the barrier of entry for buyers, making it a popular resource among hackers."Dutch police said Genesis not only sold account information, but also copies of people's online "fingerprints", or unique digital information, allowing hackers to take over the victim's life, he said.
He gave the example of a 71-year-old man who lost almost 70,000 euros from his investment account, with items ordered from web shops in his name.