After intensive investigation, police have arrested a 32-year-old Dutch suspect living in Brazil. The man, described as the "largest Dutch user of Genesis Market," was arrested in Barendrecht on Tuesday, July 18. On Monday he was arraigned before the examining magistrate, who extended his pre-trial detention by two weeks. The police reported this in a press statement.
Genesis Market was an illegal online marketplace where people could buy bots, login credentials of online accounts and corporate networks, malware and digital fingerprints. The trading platform played a key role in carrying out DDoS and ransomware attacks and committing identity fraud.
In early April, Genesis Market was taken offline. Police forces from 17 countries, including the Netherlands, participated in an international police operation called Cookie Monster. In our country, 23 homes were searched and 17 suspects were arrested. It was estimated that some 50,000 Dutch people had been infected by Genesis Market's malware.
Most of the suspects are now at large and may await the case at liberty. That does not mean they are no longer suspects.
One man specifically topped the Rotterdam Cyber Crime Team's list of suspects: a 32-year-old man living in Brazil. The police investigation revealed that he was believed to be trading on a large scale on Genesis Market. He was arrested on Tuesday, July 18, but because he was in full confinement, police could not communicate about this earlier.
"We suspect that this man has spent tens of thousands of euros on the market, making him the largest Dutch user of the Genesis Market and possibly even among the top ten largest users worldwide," said Ruben van Well, team leader of the Cybercrime Team Rotterdam. He says the police have received reports from victims who have been robbed of tens of thousands of euros.
Van Well does not rule out multiple arrests. "After all, together with the FBI, we have a wealth of information about market buyers. On the Internet you always leave traces behind, even if you use a VPN and also if payment takes place via cryptocurrency. The investigation is still in full swing and more arrests are not ruled out even now."
To check if your computer was infected with Genesis Market malware, the police launched the Check your Hack tool. Since its launch in early April, more than 4.4 million Dutch people have used this tool. More than 11,800 people received an e-mail from the police that their computer was infected.
"Normally, when identity fraud occurs, we always advise people to immediately replace all their passwords. But this malware is structured in such a way that this alone doesn't help. The criminal who acquired your data will then just update your new password," Van Well said. He advises anyone who has not yet used the Check your Hack tool to do so.
