Police seize VerifTools fake ID marketplace servers, domains

According to BleepingComputer, the FBI and the Dutch Police have shut down the VerifTools marketplace for fraudulent identity documents after seizing servers in Amsterdam. VerifTools produced and intermediated the purchase of fake documents used to bypass identity verification systems, with reports that such documents could be used for bank fraud, phishing, and evading prosecution, among other abuses, including by younger people seeking to bypass age restrictions.

The investigation, which began in August 2022, led to the seizure of two physical servers and 21 virtual servers, with the FBI posting a seizure banner on veriftools[.]net. The Dutch Police cited an estimated revenue of at least €1.3 million, while the FBI connected around $6.4 million in illegal proceeds to the marketplace. If arrests follow, the Public Prosecution Service noted that charges could carry a maximum prison sentence of six years in the Netherlands. The operation involved multiple agencies, including the EICD, Rotterdam Cybercrime team, the FBI, and the Welsh police.