November 22, 2024 at 08:04AM
The US Department of Justice seized PopeyeTools, a marketplace for trading stolen credit card information, and charged three administrators. The site, operational since 2016, had over 227,000 stolen identities and generated $1.7 million. Additionally, $283,000 in cryptocurrency was seized from one administrator’s account.
**Meeting Takeaways:**
1. **Seizure of PopeyeTools**: The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has seized the marketplace PopeyeTools, known for trading stolen credit card information, and has charged three administrators linked to the site.
2. **Domain Seizure**: The DoJ legally seized the .com, .co.uk, and .to domains associated with PopeyeTools, disrupting access to the marketplace.
3. **Marketplace Background**: Established around 2016, PopeyeTools became significant in facilitating cybercrime by offering stolen bank and credit card information, aiding in fraudulent transactions.
4. **User Base**: The platform had a global user base, including individuals connected to ransomware activities, with an estimated 227,000 pieces of personally identifiable information (PII) sold.
5. **Financial Impact**: PopeyeTools is believed to have generated over $1.7 million in revenue through the sale of stolen data and illicit services.
6. **User Promises**: The marketplace offered guarantees for refunds or replacements for invalid purchases and provided tools for users to verify the validity of stolen information.
7. **Charges and Cryptocurrency Seizure**: Three men—Abdul Ghaffar (25) and Abdul Sami (35) from Pakistan, and Javed Mirza (37) from Afghanistan—have been charged in connection with the operation. The DoJ also obtained judicial permission to seize approximately $283,000 in cryptocurrency from an account linked to Sami.
8. **Additional Context**: This operation aligns with recent enforcement actions targeting cybercrime networks, notably actions against other carding and fraud websites.
These points summarize the key developments and implications from the meeting regarding the investigation and legal actions related to PopeyeTools.