Kosovo National Arrested and Charged with Running Online Marketplace for Stolen ID, Financial Information

U. S. authorities are asking for Masurica’s extradition to the States, per the extradition treaty between the U. S. and Kosovo.

If the extradition is successful and if Masurica is found guilty in a U.S. federal court, he could spend 55 years in an American prison, according to a Justice Department press release.

Administrator of ‘Online Criminal Marketplace’

A grand jury in Florida returned an indictment on December 3, 2024, in which Masurica was described as a lead administrator of BlackDB.cc, a web portal investigators described as an “online criminal marketplace” that has been operating since 2018.

This marketplace offered compromised account and server credentials, credit card information and other personal information belonging to individuals primarily located in the United States. After purchasing this information, cybercriminals use it for illegal activities like tax fraud, credit card fraud and identity theft.

Joint Operation Between Kosovo and the U.S.

According to the web portal Klan Kosova, the case was led by the Kosovo’s Directorate of Cybercrime Investigation in coordination with the Special Prosecutor’s Office. They also said the investigation lasted a few months and resulted in the discovery that Masurica was behind not only BlackDB.cc but also the RYDOX platform, another criminal portal shut down and now under the control of the FBI and Kosovo police.

Local news outlet Insajderi shared a statement by the Kosovo police, who confirmed the case was investigated in cooperation with the U. S. authorities.

The police statement also mentioned a connection between Masurica and RYDOX.

“The suspects in the RYDOX case, in order to obtain illegal financial benefits for themselves or the other person, have founded and led for several years the online criminal market RYDOX”, said the police in their statement.

Another Two People Arrested in Kosovo

Kosovo police also mentioned in the statement that they arrested another two people in the investigation, whose identity was not released. During the arrest, they seized material evidence including cryptocurrency, several laptops, a desktop computer, mobile phones and memory devices.

Kosovo police also claimed that the web server of this criminal marketplace was located in Malaysia.

Increase in Identity Fraud

Identity theft fraud has been on the rise in recent years, according to previous reporting by The Daily Muck.

In August 2024, a federal court sentenced a man from Orlando to five and a half years in prison and later that same month, police arrested a Missouri woman who claimed to be a long lost granddaughter of the late King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley.

Then, in October 2024, U. S, authorities charged two Russian citizens for identity theft fraud.

Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

Given the rise in identity theft, it’s essential to learn how to protect yourself, especially from online threats.

The State of California U.S. Attorney General’s Office has released their “Top Ten Tips” to help prevent identity theft.

Their advice includes the following:

• Protect your social security number by not carrying your card in your wallet or allowing health insurers or other companies to use it for identification (except Medicare, a federal provider)
• Don’t click on links in emails from people you don’t know
• Use complex passwords and have a different one for each account
• Avoid over-sharing on social media sites
• Don’t download apps from untrusted sites
• When shopping online, make sure the vendor is reputable and uses an “https” protocol at the beginning of their address
• Check all bank account and credit card statements to ensure there are no unauthorized charges
• Opt out of pre-approved credit card offers. You can have your name removed from credit bureau marketing lists by calling 1-888-5OPTOUT (888-567-8688) or online at www.optoutprescreen.com
• Check credit reports to make sure no one has opened lines accounts in your name.
• Don’t be afraid to question or refuse to provide personal information when businesses ask for it. If they are hacked, the hackers will have that information too.

Anyone can be a potential victim of identity theft, but you can increase your chances of avoiding it by following these tips.