Europol Dismantles Dark Web Black Market Manson Market, Arrests Two and Seizes Over 200TB of Digital Evidence

Europol continues its crackdown on cybercrime, targeting transnational dark web marketplaces. The latest to fall is Manson Market, a notorious hub for the trade of sensitive data stolen through phishing or other hacking activities. Established in 2022, Manson Market became a go-to for cybercriminals seeking illicit services, including voice phishing and the development of phishing websites to harvest critical payment information.

👆Upon visiting Manson Market now, users are greeted with a notice of its seizure.

Europol's statement highlighted that the stolen data traced back to Manson Market, a central nexus for illegal information exchange. The marketplace allowed thousands of users to buy stolen data, organized by region and account balance, facilitating targeted scams.

Interestingly, Manson Market also maintained a presence on the messaging platform Telegram through a channel named 'Freestuffbymanson,' sharing free credit card details daily. It remains unclear whether this was an official channel aimed at drawing users, but it has since been taken down, likely due to law enforcement action.

In a joint operation, Europol arrested two suspects, seized more than 50 servers, and collected over 200TB of digital evidence. Law enforcement agencies from Austria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and other European countries participated in the crackdown.

The suspects, arrested in Germany and Austria, are aged 27 and 37 and are currently in pre-trial detention.