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US Police Detective Charged With Purchasing Stolen Credentials

Terrance Michael Ciszek is charged with buying stolen account credentials from the Genesis Market dark web marketplace.

The US Department of Justice has announced charges against a Buffalo police detective who allegedly bought stolen credentials and on an underground darkweb marketplace.

According to the indictment, 34-year-old Terrance Michael Ciszek (also known as DrMonster) purchased 11 packages on Genesis Market between March 16 and July 29, 2020, including 194 stolen account credentials.

Launched in 2018 as an invite-only marketplace, Genesis Market provided users with access to so-called bots, which were stolen browser fingerprints enabling miscreants to access services and systems while making the requests seem like coming from legitimate users.

These pre-made packages enabled cybercriminals to execute attacks quickly and steal funds or perform other types of fraud before their victims could spot the compromise.

In April 2023, law enforcement agencies in the US, Australia, and Europe announced the takedown of Genesis and the arrest of 120 individuals allegedly associated with the marketplace’s operations.

Ciszek, the indictment alleges, was interrogated on April 4, 2023, regarding his use of Genesis, and lied to the FBI, claiming he made no purchase on the marketplace and stating that his nephew might have been responsible for those purchases.

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The indictment also alleges that Ciszek had cryptocurrency wallet addresses associated with the dark web carding website UniCC, and that he had recorded a video explaining his use of UniCC and how he was hiding his identity when purchasing stolen credit cards.

In the video he also praised UniCC, claiming that he was usually getting his credit cards from the website.

Ciszek was charged “with possession of unauthorized access devices with intent to defraud and making a false statement to an agency of the United States, which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison,” the DoJ announced.

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Related: Trump Confirms U.S. Launched Cyberattack on Russian Troll Farm in 2018

Written By

Ionut Arghire is an international correspondent for SecurityWeek.

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