West Mercia Police supports FBI to take down online marketplace selling people's data
Internet users are being urged to check their data following an international project tackling cyber fraud.
West Mercia Police Cyber Crime team has supported the National Crime Agency and FBI to take down one of the biggest online marketplaces.
Known for selling stolen credentials to criminals worldwide Genesis Market was the target of the joint operation involving 18 countries and led by the FBI and Dutch National Police.
On Tuesday, the successful operation saw the site taken offline.
Genesis Market was a go-to service for criminals seeking to defraud victims, having hosted approximately 80 million credentials and digital fingerprints stolen from over two million people.
As part of the investigation, the NCA identified hundreds of UK-based users of the platform and worked together with policing partners across the country.
This resulted in warrants being executed, arrests and preventative action in coordinated raids by the NCA, Regional Cyber Crime Units and Force Cyber Crime Units.
The joint operation took place on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Nine people from across the region were arrested.
Detective Sergeant Steve Lloyd from West Mercia Police’s Cyber Crime Unit said: “I am incredibly proud of the role my team played and how they represented West Mercia Police over the last two days.
"I have no doubt that this enforcement has protected the West Mercia public specifically in tacking fraud and preventing further people from becoming victims.”
Members of the public can check whether their data has been compromised and accessed by criminals on Genesis Market by visiting politie.nl/en/information/checkyourhack.html and inputting their email address.
Those who have been affected are encouraged to report this to Action Fraud.
