London, UK: The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) announced that law enforcement agencies from various countries, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), had successfully seized a vast dark web marketplace that was widely used by cybercriminals. The operation, named “Operation Cookie Monster” by the FBI, resulted in the arrest of dozens of individuals involved in illegal activities on the platform.
According to British authorities, the “Operation Cookie Monster” operation involved 17 countries and was led by the FBI and Dutch police. As a result of the operation, approximately 120 individuals were arrested, more than 200 searches were conducted, and nearly 100 instances of “preventative activity” were carried out.
The NCA estimated that Genesis Market, an online forum that was seized during “Operation Cookie Monster,” hosted over 80 million credentials and digital fingerprints that had been stolen from more than two million individuals.
Ms. Lisa Monaco, the Deputy Attorney General of the United States Justice Department, announced in a statement that a significant number of users of the Genesis Market forum were apprehended. While a senior FBI official confirmed that arrests had been made in the US, no additional information was provided. The investigation into the Genesis Market and its users is still ongoing.
In a statement announcing sanctions against the Genesis Market, the US Treasury Department described it as one of the leading vendors of stolen credentials and other sensitive information. Late on 4th April 2023, a banner was displayed on the Genesis Market’s website stating that its domains had been confiscated by the FBI. The site also featured logos from various European, Canadian, and Australian law enforcement agencies, as well as the cybersecurity firm Qintel.
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