Rydox, a cybercrime marketplace that sold fraud tools and stolen personal data, was taken over by the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ).
Three Kosovo citizens and service administrators, Ardit Kutleshi, Jetmir Kutleshi, and Shpend Sokoli, were taken into custody by Kosovar authorities. Rydox administrators Ardit and Jetmir Kutleshi, both citizens of Kosovo, were detained in Kosovo and are awaiting extradition to the United States. Sokoli, the third administrator, was taken into custody by SPAK in Albania and will be charged and prosecuted there.
Since its launch in February 2016, the Rydox marketplace has generated $230,000 by facilitating over 7,600 purchases of access devices, cybercrime tools, and stolen personal information. It provided 18,000 customers with more than 321,000 items, such as hacking tools, names, and social security numbers. It affected thousands of victims in the United States.
“The Rydox marketplace was a one-stop shop where upwards of 18,000 of its cybercriminal customers could choose from more than 300,000 cybercrime tools,” said U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “While cybercrime often involves conduct occurring overseas and the actions of foreign nationals, its harms can be devastatingly local, with residents in our own communities suffering financial ruin as a result of the theft and misuse of their sensitive personal information. Today’s takedown reinforces our steadfast message that the Western District of Pennsylvania and our domestic and international law enforcement partners will use every available tool to hold accountable those who pursue illicit profit at the expense of ordinary citizens around the world.”
The FBI and Royal Malaysian Police worked together to confiscate servers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, that housed the illegal marketplace, and the U.S. authorities took control of the Rydox domain.
Additionally, $225,000 in cryptocurrencies was confiscated by US officials.
Identity theft, conspiracy to conduct identity theft, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud, and money laundering are among the several allegations against Ardit and Jetmir Kutleshi.
A maximum of 20 years in jail for money laundering, 10 years for access device fraud, and 5 years for each identity theft offense would be imposed upon each guilty party. Aggravated identity theft also carries a required minimum term of two years, which must be served in order of previous punishments.
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