US government seizes crypto funds, 145 domains tied to darknet marketplace BidenCash

The U.S. government seized cryptocurrency funds and 145 darknet and traditional internet domains connected to the criminal marketplace BidenCash, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced on Wednesday.

"The United States obtained court authorization to seize cryptocurrency funds that the BidenCash marketplace used to receive illicit proceeds from its illegal sales," it said in a press release.

While the specific amount and type of cryptocurrencies were not disclosed, the Department of Justice alleged BidenCash operators generated over $17 million worth of revenue from the platform, charging a fee for every transaction from over 117,000 customers by facilitating the trafficking of over 15 million payment card numbers and personally identifiable information since March 2022.

Furthermore, between October 2022 and February 2023, the BidenCash marketplace released 3.3 million stolen credit cards for free as a way to promote its services, the DOJ claimed. The leaked data included card numbers, expiration dates, CVVs, and personal details such as names, addresses, emails, and phone numbers. BidenCash also allegedly sold stolen credentials that enabled unauthorized access to computers.

Following the seizure, the BidenCash marketplace domains are no longer operational and will now redirect to a U.S. law enforcement-controlled server, blocking any further criminal use, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. 

The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service’s Frankfurt Resident Office, the U.S. Secret Service’s Cyber Investigative Section, and the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, with assistance from the Dutch National High Tech Crime Unit, The Shadowserver Foundation, and Searchlight Cyber.

The action follows a broader crackdown on crypto-related cybercrime. Just last month, U.S. authorities seized five internet domains linked to LummaC2, a malware tool cyber actors use to steal crypto wallet seed phrases and other valuable information from millions worldwide.