York Regional Police officers took part in the FBI-led joint-forces investigation dubbed Operation Cookie Monster to crack down on malware cybercriminals.
The four-year investigation involved an illicit online criminal market known as the Genesis Market, according to an Ontario Provincial Police news release. The FBI estimates that by April 2022, 1.5 million devices connected to financial sectors, critical infrastructure, and various governments worldwide had been infected by malware.
Through that malware, Genesis Market compiled stolen data such as email addresses, usernames and passwords and packaged this data for sale. The potential number of victims in Ontario is not known, police said.
Last February, the FBI shared information with the National Cybercrime Coordination Centre, as well as other Ontario police services, identifying several individuals in their jurisdictions believed to have purchased illicitly obtained information.
The Ontario Provincial Police cybercrime investigations team, Toronto Police Service, Peel Regional Police, Waterloo Regional Police Service, York Regional Police, London Police Service and Woodstock Police Service have been part of the investigation.
Officers conducted enforcement action, including three search warrants at locations in Ontario, on Tuesday, April 4, resulting in the seizure of electronic devices.
Anyone who suspects they have been the victim of cybercrime or fraud should report it to their local police and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre's online reporting system or by phone at 1-888-495-8501.
