Nine cryptocurrency trading websites have had their domains confiscated by the FBI and Ukrainian Law Enforcement on suspicion of facilitating money laundering by online criminals. The Virtual Currency Response Team and Ukrainian prosecutors’ offices supported the operation.
According to a press release by the FBI, the seized domains include 24xbtc.com, 100btc.pro, pridechange.com, trust-exchange.org, bitcoin24.exchange, paybtc.pro, owl.gold, 101crypta.com and uxbtc.com.
These websites offered anonymous crypto exchange services in English and Russian, with minimal or no Know Your Customer (KYC) or Anti-Money Laundering (AML) measures. The websites also advertised on online forums dedicated to discussing criminal activity.
The FBI claimed that these crypto exchanges facilitated money laundering for various cybercriminals, including ransomware operators, scammers and hackers. The FBI also said that these exchanges violated US laws by operating without a license and supporting criminal activities.
The servers of the seized websites were located in the US, Ukraine and various European countries and were also confiscated by the authorities. The authorities will analyze the seized infrastructure to identify and track down the cybercriminals who used the exchanges to launder their illicit funds.
The operation is part of a broader effort by law enforcement agencies to crack down on crypto laundering networks that enable cybercrime and evade regulations. In recent months, the FBI and other agencies have also seized or sanctioned other crypto-mixing services and brokers involved in similar activities.
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