December 13, 2024 at 07:02AM
The US dismantled Rydox, a cybercrime marketplace for stolen personal information, arresting three Kosovo nationals linked to its administration. Active since 2016, Rydox generated over $230,000 in illicit sales. The US seized its domain and cryptocurrency, while the suspects face serious charges, including identity theft and money laundering.
### Meeting Takeaways:
1. **Rydox Marketplace Takedown**: The US government has dismantled Rydox, a cybercrime marketplace known for selling stolen personal information and fraud tools.
2. **Arrests Made**:
– Three Kosovo nationals, Ardit Kutleshi (26) and Jetmir Kutleshi (28), were arrested by Kosovo law enforcement and are awaiting extradition to the US.
– Shpend Sokoli was arrested in Albania and will face prosecution there.
3. **Marketplace Operations**:
– Rydox has been operational since at least February 2016, facilitating over 7,600 illicit sales and generating at least $230,000 in revenue.
– The platform provided at least 321,372 cybercrime products, including sensitive data such as Social Security numbers and credit card information.
4. **Domain and Asset Seizures**:
– The US obtained judicial authorization to seize the domain www.Rydox.cc, which now displays a seizure notice.
– Collaborated with Malaysian authorities to take down Rydox servers and offline the website.
– Approximately $225,000 was seized from cryptocurrency accounts owned by Rydox’s administrators.
5. **Charges Against Arrested Individuals**:
– Ardit and Jetmir Kutleshi are charged with identity theft, device fraud, and money laundering, facing potential decades in prison.
6. **Evidence Collected in Albania**:
– During the arrest of Sokoli, Albanian authorities confiscated computer equipment, mobile devices, documents, and cryptocurrency assets.
7. **Related Operations**: Mentioned other recent law enforcement actions targeting cybercrime (e.g., arrests in Belgium and Netherlands, DDoS attack services takedown, and hacking charges related to US tax preparation firms).
These takeaways summarize the key points from the meeting regarding the Rydox operation and associated legal actions.