Interpol recently announced the successful takedown of the phishing-as-a-service platform known as “16shop.” This operation resulted in the arrest of three individuals in Indonesia and Japan, highlighting the ongoing threat posed by cybercriminals and the importance of international cooperation in combating cybercrime.
Description
The operator of 16shop was apprehended in Indonesia with the assistance of Trend’s threat intelligence report and Interpol. This initial arrest provided crucial information that ultimately led to the apprehension of two additional suspects in Japan. The operation was part of a global investigation coordinated by Interpol [4], with intelligence sharing between the Indonesian National Police’s Cyber Crime Directorate [4], Interpol’s Secretary General [4], and law enforcement agencies in Indonesia [4] [5], Japan [1] [2] [3] [4] [5], and the United States [4] [5].
16shop specialized in selling phishing kits, enabling cybercriminals to carry out large-scale phishing attacks on popular services like Apple, PayPal [2], and Amazon [2]. According to Singapore-based cybersecurity firm Group-IB [2], the phishing kits sold on the platform were used to create over 150,000 phishing domains, targeting users in various countries [2]. These kits were sold on underground forums at prices ranging from $60 to $150 [2]. The platform had compromised approximately 70,000 users across 43 countries [2].
Conclusion
The successful takedown of 16shop demonstrates the ongoing threat posed by cybercriminals and the need for international cooperation in combating cybercrime. This operation [4], carried out by Interpol, resulted in three recent arrests and highlights the importance of intelligence work and collaboration between law enforcement agencies and private partners. It serves as a reminder of the constant vigilance required to protect users from phishing attacks and the continued efforts needed to mitigate cyber threats globally.
References
[1] https://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/interpol-shuts-down-phishing-service-16shops
[2] https://secoperations.wordpress.com/2023/08/11/interpol-busts-phishing-as-a-service-platform-16shop-leading-to-3-arrests/
[3] https://marketwirenews.com/news-releases/trend-micro-teams-up-with-interpol-to-take-down-noto-5537964402251009.html
[4] https://www.liputan6.com/tekno/read/5369300/operator-platform-phishing-di-indonesia-berhasil-terbongkar-penangkapan-libatkan-interpol
[5] https://review1st.com/news/operasi-global-interpol-penangkapan-fasilitator-phishing-as-a-service-16shop-di-indonesia/
