US Police Detective Charged for Buying Stolen Credentials via Dark Web ‘Genesis Market’
Published on October 23, 2024
- A U.S. detective with the Buffalo police department was charged with acquiring stolen credentials via the Genesis Market dark web marketplace.
- The individual lied to the FBI about owning cryptocurrency wallet addresses associated with the dark web carding platform UniCC.
- The accused detective allegedly bought almost 200 compromised account credentials.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) has announced charges against Terrance Michael Ciszek, a 34-year-old detective with the Buffalo police department. Ciszek, also known by his alias "DrMonster," faces allegations of purchasing stolen credentials on the notorious dark web marketplace Genesis Market.
Between March 16 and July 29, 2020, Ciszek allegedly acquired 11 packages from this invite-only marketplace, which included a total of 194 compromised account credentials.
Genesis Market, launched in 2018, was infamous for offering users access to "bots" – stolen browser fingerprints that mimic legitimate user activity to facilitate unauthorized access to services and systems.
These pre-packaged stolen credentials enabled cybercriminals to execute swift attacks, steal funds, and commit various types of fraud before victims could detect their accounts had been compromised.
Law enforcement agencies across the US, Australia, and Europe announced in April 2023 that Genesis Market had been taken down. This operation resulted in the apprehension of 120 individuals purportedly linked to the marketplace's operations.
According to the indictment, Ciszek falsely claimed during an FBI interrogation on April 4, 2023, that he had made no purchases on Genesis Market, suggesting instead that his nephew might have been responsible.
Further allegations reveal that Ciszek maintained cryptocurrency wallet addresses associated with the dark web carding platform UniCC and created a video detailing his use of UniCC to acquire stolen credit cards while concealing his identity. In the video, Ciszek reportedly lauded UniCC, stating his preference for obtaining credit cards through the platform.
The charges against Ciszek include possession of unauthorized access devices with intent to defraud and making a false statement to a US agency. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
In other recent news, the 'Sipulitie' darknet marketplace, known for the anonymous sale of illegal narcotics, was dismantled via an operation involving Finnish Customs, Europol, the Swedish police, Polish law enforcement authorities, and cybersecurity experts from Bitdefender.
