BleepingComputer reports that nearly 50 cryptocurrency exchange services leveraged by ransomware operations, botnet operators, and other cybercriminals for money laundering activities have been taken over by Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office, or BKA.
Xchange.cash was the most significant of the 47 sequestered exchanges, having more than 410,000 users and 1.28 million transactions, followed by 60cek.org, Bankcomat.com, Banksman.com, and Prostocash.com, all of which recorded more than 200,000 users and over 400,000 transactions. While no arrests have been made in relation to the crackdown, German law enforcement noted in the "Operation Final Exchange" warning page where the sites redirect to that all of their servers have been sequestered. "For years, the operators of these criminal exchange services have led you to believe that their hosting cannot be found, that they do not store any customer data and that all data is deleted immediately after the transaction. We have found their servers and seized them – development servers, production servers, backup servers. We have their data – and therefore we have your data. Transactions, registration data, IP addresses," said the website.
