The Federal Bureau of Investigation has newly opened a Russian-based internet marketplace where many cybercrime goods and services offered, the Department of Justice reported on Tuesday.
In addition to closing down the site, the FBI detained its supposed developer, reportedly Russian programmer Kirill Victorovich Firsov.
Known as DEER.IO, the cyber portal allowed criminals to offer goods or services via online retailers in return for a charge. Online since at least October 2013, the company reported having more than 24,000 operating shops with revenue of more than $17 million.
Firsov, of Russian descent, was detained in New York City on 7 March. He reportedly operated the DEER.IO site and even sold it to hackers on numerous internet platforms.
Digital retailers on DEER.IO received stolen and corrupted financial and business details from the United States and overseas, personally identifiable information (PII), and user identities from U.S. businesses. Miscreants may even buy data from compromised machines found in the U.S. and abroad from such shops.
No legit company identified to be selling services or goods to either of the DEER.IO storefronts says the DoJ.
Online retailers were housed on Russian-controlled networks, and the FBI was able to allow transactions from DEER.IO storefronts housed on Russian servers, says the DoJ. Shop owners have equipped with an easy-to-use system that enables the electronic procurement and sale of illegal products and services.
Cybercriminals may buy connections to virtual shops using the DEER.IO website and then be directed via an automated configuration method to install goods and services and customize cryptocurrency wallets to receive payments.
As of 2019, storefronts may be bought directly from the DEER.IO platform for a monthly charge of 800 rubles(~ $12.50) payable in Bitcoin or via different electronic payment systems, including the Russian-based money transfer network WebMoney.
Miscreants were able to enter storefronts on the DEER.IO website through web browsers and were also equipped with a search feature to locate the details they were searching for. Purchases have created utilizing bitcoin or WebMoney.
At the beginning of March 2020, the FBI managed to buy gamer accounts from the DEER.IO website, and include a username and password for each account, as well as specific PII accounts that contained addresses, dates of birth and the U.S. Social Security numbers for people in the county of San Diego.
“Deer.io was the largest centralized platform, which promoted and facilitated the sale of compromised social media and financial accounts, personally identifiable information (PII) and hacked computers on the Internet. The seizure of this criminal website represents a significant step in reducing stolen data used to victimize individuals and businesses in the United States and abroad,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Omer Meisel stated.
