Genesis Market, a platform that sold stolen account information to hackers around the world, has been taken down after an FBI-coordinated operation involving 17 countries, Romanian police said Wednesday.

There were simultaneous actions against users of this platform worldwide, resulting in 119 arrests, 208 search warrants and 97 other checks. In Romania, the police and DIICOT conducted seven searches and executed four arrest warrants against four suspects. One suspect was taken under judicial control, the other was detained and must be brought to the Bucharest court with a proposal for preventive arrest for 30 days.

This international operation was led by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Dutch National Police, with a command post set up at Europol headquarters.

After the searches, numerous computer systems, 883,600 lei and 18,600 euros, as well as 9,150 kilograms of pure gold in bars were seized.

What is Genesis Market and how are victims affected

Targeted individuals purchased packages with data to log into various computer accounts from 513 victims, including citizens of Romania, on the Genesis Market platform to commit other computer-related crimes.

The main object of criminal activity of Genesis Market was digital identifiers. The platform allegedly offered for sale what its owners called “bots” that infected victims’ devices with malware or account hijacking attacks.

Thus, by purchasing such a bot, suspects would have access to all the data it collects, such as fingerprints, cookies, saved logins, and autofill data. This information would be collected in real-time and customers would be notified of any password changes.

The price per bot would range from $0.70 to several hundred dollars, depending on the amount and nature of the stolen data. The most expensive would contain financial information that would allow access to online bank accounts.

People who would buy these special bots would get not only the stolen data, but also the means to use it. Buyers were offered to set up a browser that would simulate the browser of an injured person. This would allow suspicious individuals to gain access to the victim’s account without activating any security measures on the platform the account was on. These security measures include recognizing a different login location, a different browser fingerprint, or a different operating system.

Also, unlike other similar platforms, Genesis Market would be available on the open internet, although access was by invitation only. Its availability and low prices would significantly lower the barrier to entry for buyers, making it a popular resource among hackers, Romanian police say.

What to do if your data has been stolen

“With over 1.5 million ‘bots’ listed on the Genesis marketplace, it’s likely your credentials have already been put up for sale on that marketplace,” police warn.

The Dutch police have developed a portal to check if your information has been compromised. Go to https://www.politie.nl/checkyourhack and enter your email address to check if this is part of the Genesis Market leak.

If your digital identity has been stolen, you should follow the steps below.

• Run an antivirus program. In most cases, your antivirus will catch the malware and remove it. Only then should you change all your passwords – not before, if you don’t want cybercriminals to get their hands on them.
• Notify relevant stakeholders. Your bank, insurance company, and any other important third party should be notified of your identity theft.
• Remember that cybercriminals are quick to adapt their methods to take advantage of any opportunity. There are simple precautions you can take to make it harder for them to access your devices and data:
• If available, use anti-virus software on all your electronic devices;
• Maintain up-to-date software, including browser, antivirus and operating system;
• View and download only official software versions and always from verified websites;
• Be careful when surfing the Internet and do not click on questionable links, pop-ups or dialog boxes;
• Think twice before clicking on links or attachments in unsolicited emails;
• Set unique passwords. Create strong passwords or passphrases for each individual website and service. This is where using a password manager will come in handy;
• Enable multi-factor authentication when possible for all your accounts.