November 22, 2024 at 04:48AM
Meta, Microsoft, and the U.S. Department of Justice are taking action against cybercrime. Microsoft seized 240 fraudulent websites linked to a phishing kit seller. The DoJ shut down PopeyeTools, a marketplace for stolen data, while Meta removed over two million scam accounts. Collaborations aim to combat online fraud globally.
### Meeting Takeaways
**Key Actions Against Cybercrime:**
1. **Collaborative Efforts:** Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) have initiated separate actions to combat cybercrime, focusing on disrupting scams, fraud, and phishing activities.
**Microsoft’s Actions:**
2. **Seizure of Fraudulent Websites:** Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) seized 240 fraudulent websites linked to Egyptian cybercriminal Abanoub Nady (MRxC0DER), who operated a phishing kit named ONNX since 2017.
3. **Financial Services Targeted:** The financial services industry is particularly vulnerable, with phishing campaigns having severe consequences for victims.
4. **Phishing Kit Details:** ONNX is offered in a PhaaS model, costing between $150 to $550. It can bypass two-factor authentication by intercepting 2FA requests.
5. **Legal Measures:** Microsoft obtained a civil court order to neutralize the phishing infrastructure. They are working with the Linux Foundation, the trademark owner of ONNX.
**DoJ Actions:**
6. **Shutdown of PopeyeTools:** The DoJ shut down PopeyeTools, a marketplace for stolen credit cards and fraud tools, unsealing charges against its three administrators from Pakistan and Afghanistan.
7. **Marketplace Impact:** PopeyeTools, operational since 2016, sold access to sensitive financial data affecting at least 227,000 individuals and generating over $1.7 million in revenue.
**Meta’s Actions:**
8. **Account Removals:** Meta removed over two million accounts linked to scam centers in Southeast Asia, specifically targeting pig butchering schemes.
9. **Scam Operations:** These scams often involve compelling victims to invest in fraudulent schemes after building trusted relationships online.
**Collaborative Initiatives:**
10. **Tech Against Scams Coalition:** Meta, alongside Coinbase, Ripple, and Match Group, is part of a coalition to tackle online fraud. Google has similar initiatives with GASA and DNS RF.
**Next Steps:**
– Continuous monitoring and updates on the developments of these initiatives are necessary to assess the effectiveness of the actions taken against cybercrime.
– Consider partnerships with organizations involved in online safety and fraud prevention efforts.