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VerifTools, Identity Theft, New Mexico 2022
ALBUQUERQUE – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced today the seizure of two marketplace domains and one blog used to sell fraudulent identity documents to cybercriminals worldwide.
The operators of VerifTools produced and sold counterfeit driver’s licenses, passports, and other identification documents that could be used to bypass identity verification systems and gain unauthorized access to online accounts.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began investigating in August 2022 after discovering a conspiracy to use stolen identity information to access cryptocurrency accounts.
“The internet is not a refuge for criminals. If you build or sell tools that let offenders impersonate victims, you are part of the crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison.
The FBI used the VerifTools marketplace to generate and purchase counterfeit New Mexico driver’s licenses, which were paid for with cryptocurrency. The FBI has identified the equivalent of approximately $6.4 million of illicit proceeds linked to the VerifTools marketplace.
“The removal of this marketplace is a major step in protecting the public from fraud and identity theft crime,” said Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Division.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell, the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs collaborated on this investigation.
The investigation revealed that VerifTools offered counterfeit identification documents for all 50 U.S. states and multiple foreign countries for as little as nine dollars, payable in cryptocurrency.
Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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