"VerifTools was one of the largest online shops for fake driver's licenses, passports, and other forms of ID. With these documents, criminals can assume new identities, get hired by tech companies in fake IT worker scams, or pull off digital identity and bank help-desk fraud. Teens can also use fake IDs to trick sales clerks into selling them alcohol, we're told."
"The FBI began investigating VerifTools in August 2022 after discovering a conspiracy to use stolen identity information to access cryptocurrency accounts, according to the feds. During the probe, undercover cops used the marketplace to generate and purchase counterfeit New Mexico driver's licenses, which they paid for with cryptocurrency. Investigators ultimately determined that the marketplace sold fake ID documents for all 50 US states and multiple foreign countries."
"The FBI identified the equivalent of about $6.4 million of illicit proceeds linked to VerifTools. At the Amsterdam data center, Dutch police seized two physical servers and more than 21 virtual servers. 'Police will further examine the data on the servers and determine whether the administrator and users can be identified,' the Rotterdam Police said. In the Netherlands, forgery, false identification, and deploying counterfeit payment instruments each carry a maximum prison sentence of six years."
Law enforcement seized two domains and a blog tied to VerifTools, an international marketplace selling counterfeit identity documents for as little as $9. VerifTools offered fake driver's licenses, passports, and other IDs usable for identity theft, employment fraud, and financial scams. The FBI began investigating in August 2022 after uncovering a conspiracy to use stolen identity data to access cryptocurrency accounts; undercover agents purchased counterfeit New Mexico driver's licenses using cryptocurrency. Authorities identified about $6.4 million in illicit proceeds linked to the platform. Dutch police seized two physical servers and more than 21 virtual servers to examine data and identify administrators and users. Forgery and related offenses carry up to six years in the Netherlands.
Read at Theregister
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]