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A GLOBAL POLICE operation has shut down one of the world’s largest online marketplaces where cybercriminals can buy stolen identities and passwords, international law enforcement agencies said today.
Dubbed “Operation Cookie Monster”, the swoop targeted Genesis Market, which sold hackers the identities of over two million people for as little as $0.70 (€0.64), they said.
Police arrested 119 people in an international operation led by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Dutch police and involving law enforcement in 17 countries, with 208 raids worldwide.
The website was based in Russia, according to the US Treasury, which said it had imposed sanctions against Genesis Market.
The “unprecedented law enforcement operation” had taken down “one of the most dangerous marketplaces selling stolen account credentials to hackers worldwide”, EU police agency Europol said.
People trying to access Genesis Market today 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.
A cookie is a piece of computer data that makes it easier to reopen web pages. Cookie Monster is a blue, furry character from the US children’s television series “Sesame Street”.
Suspects were targeted in countries including Australia, Britain, Canada, the United States and more than 10 countries in Europe.
Britain’s National Crime Agency said police had arrested 24 people there over Genesis Market.
“Its removal will be a huge blow to criminals across the globe,” said Rob Jones, the NCA’s Director General of Threat Leadership.
Europol said the site offered “bots” for sale that had infected victims’ devices through malware or other methods, attracting criminals through “accessibility and cheap prices”.
Prices for bots ranged from as little as $0.70 to several hundred dollars in the case of valuable bank account information, Europol said.
“Upon purchase of such a bot, criminals would get access to all the data harvested by it such as fingerprints, cookies, saved logins and autofill form data,” it said.
Unlike so-called “dark web” services, Genesis was available on the open web “although obscured from law enforcement behind an invitation-only veil”, the agency said.
Another 17 people were arrested in the Netherlands, where Dutch police launched a portal so people could check whether their details were on the site.
Ruben van Well, Dutch police cybercrime team leader based in Rotterdam, said Genesis was “one of the most dangerous” sites aiding hackers.
“For example, it was possible to order and pay for things in web shops in the name of victims or, in certain cases, even to plunder entire bank, crypto or investment accounts,” Van Well said.
He gave the example of a 71-year-old man who lost almost €70,000 from his investment account, with items ordered from web shops in his name.
“The victim told us he felt like he was treading water in a massive swimming pool with no idea how to get out,” Van Well said.
French police said officers had arrested three men yesterday in France near Paris and Lyon.
“They were three major clients of the platform, who had bought several hundred bots, representing several thousand accesses,” added the officer, a specialist in cybercrime.
Investigators in Germany searched 62 properties connected to 58 suspects and seized several electronic data devices, the BKA federal police and prosecutors in Frankfurt said in a joint statement.
The US Treasury Department said in a statement Genesis was believed to be located in Russia.
“This action was coordinated with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and international partners from a dozen countries,” it added.
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I don’t trust media-produced opinion or exit polls. They tend to carry something of a bias toward outcomes that the media themselves would like to see, such as the utterly contrived “green wave” that the monolithic, group-thinking Irish media have been salivating and manipulating about since the first exit poll was produced last Friday.
In reality, the vast majority of the Irish electorate did not vote for the Green Party in the 2019 Local and European Elections. The vast majority of voters voted for either Fianna Fail, Fine Gael or Independent candidates.
Media-produced opinion and exit polls tend to exaggerate scenarios that the media would be ideologically in favour of, and they downplay scenarios that the media would be less in favour of. Like most voters, I have never once been asked to contribute to an exit poll. Nor have I ever been asked to contribute to an opinion poll between elections.
@J. Reid: I think the main reason the exit polls predicted a green surge is that green voters vote later in the day and when you tip the box upside down their votes are at the top distorting the exit poll. But why do they vote later? Root cause analysis suggests they may not work 9 to 5 jobs as their principles restrict where they can work but further analysis suggests that those that do work, cycle to workplace and take longer to get there, get changed out if hi vis soaked lycra and thus leave work later, this voting later. Also the green voter will not waste paper by voting if they the know the seat is in the bag thus they wait and surge later. Once the box tips upside down you have the LIFO principles at play that media run with. QED.
@Chewey Bacca: ;)
@J. Reid: Agree 100%.
@Hatchjaw: the exit poll is done prior to boxes being opened i.e. pollsters on the ground all day grabing people as they ahem; exit
@J. Reid: I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, I’m just wondering what ‘the media’ would get out of distorting this information? They’d only have between polling and counting to enjoy their fabrication; no time to influence anything and a hit to their reputation when it becomes apparent they reported the wrong result. Seems very short-sighted.
@iohanx: So Red C wandered down to some South Dublin polling station, asked random hipsters how they voted and put it out as a national trend?
@J. Reid: That is very Trumpian attacking the media. This poll is not a media poll. They do multiple polling research, on a myriad of topics/products etc.
It appears that you and others are unawares to your mistake, as it appears to be an easy mistake to make.
A media produced poll is similar to the following
https://www.thejournal.ie/poll-does-the-price-of-sunscreen-influence-your-usage-4657168-May2019/
@J. Reid: wrong in so many ways.
@Chewey Bacca: LOL. So you get paid to write this crap?
So what we have learned is to not believe what we are told in the polls pre or post voting time
At the end of the day its an exit poll. Who cares. Its the actaul results that matter. Media frenzie comes to mind.
Polls are useful to keep the status quo going, they create voter apathy. People are told constantly that either FG or FF are going to win , so they don’t bother voting which helps keep the big parties in power.
Opinion and exit polls for all their claims to scientific accuracy and reliability are susceptible to one thing that can render them worthless and that’s human nature. Sometime people just don’t tell the truth…
The thing I don’t trust about the explanation is that if the numbers had gone the other way an equally valid explanation would have been provided. When science meets people things get messy.
Polls are used by media to maintain status quo.. Always has and always will..
@Willy: If I follow your logic Willy, you reckon there is a conspiracy by the polling companies to influence people to vote for SF by consistently showing their numbers as much higher than they actually are. The scoundrels. Thankfully the people didn’t fall for it.
The only thing the Poll has done is give Leo and Simon a few quotes to weasel around and unexpected representation for the greens. That has trown up two things, Saoirse McHugh, likely to stay un-elected but has shown her morale backbone whith her FF/FG statement, which do her self no harm next time around as an independent if that be her decision. While the greens leadership show, they are only too keen to to jump into junior government partnership again. Very good to know that about them.
Polls have been proven to be inaccurate many times now so most people don’t pay any attention to them apart from the media who need to fill out their news output with something. Like on a quiet news week, you will get a Sunday newspaper revealing the entirely predictable results of some poll
Varadkar out! The party of spin , lies, deceit and ineptitude out! They think not sinking the economy again is enough for them to retain power. You can disagree and send them packing!!!! Send the rats scurrying come election time. Fool me once ….
@Shane Murphy: the economy isn’t sinking, its the fastest growing in Europe
@Virgil: Heard that before, before the Celtic Tiger Crash, which was fueled by a housing shortage too
@Virgil: Stagnating at the moment, number of jobs advertised has dropped since the beginning of the year. Brexit will trigger downturn here, lack of government preparation for Brexit will make it worse
@Virgil: Means f–all if it only benifits the few.
Just a waste of time and money
The only Exit that matters is the Sf Exit
@pat seery: ??
We have no Green party representation on Sligo County council..I think if they had put up a candidate they would have got a seat after seen what happened around the country.
@Marty from Sligo: eh, there was a green candidate.
Where do they get their ‘margin of error’ from? They should just say this could be totally wrong, we just don’t now. We think it’s a ball park figure
@Virgil: That should be RTE’s Motto !
Morto for them and their Poll Guessers !
Media demanding on radio the minister to introduce carbon tax as if the entire country voted green. If Aontu had recieved the same share of the vote would they demand a new referendum on abortion. No the wouldn’t. Most of the media in this country are biased which is a very dangerous thing.
have your say