The FBI has arrested a Rochester man for allegedly buying over 1,000 usernames and passwords that had been stolen.
U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced that 23-year-old Brandon Hall was charged by criminal complaint with possessing 15 or more unauthorized access devices. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that since August 2018, the FBI has been investigating an illicit online marketplace known as Genesis Market, whose operators compile stolen data, such as computer and mobile device identifiers, email addresses, usernames, and passwords, from malware-infected computers around the globe and package it for sale on the market. Purchases made through Genesis Market are conducted using virtual currency, such as bitcoin.
According to the complaint, between November 2019, and February 2021, Hall purchased 12 packages on Genesis Market that included approximately 1,100 stolen account credentials. The stolen credentials included accounts for Citi Bank, AT&T, Venmo, Twitter, Netflix, LinkedIn, Spotify, Hulu, Google, Paypal, Microsoft, Yahoo, Walmart, Target, and Amazon accounts. In May 2023, investigators executed a search warrant and seized Hall’s cell phone. An analysis of the phone recovered information regarding Hall’s activity on Genesis Market.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
