Authorities Dismantle SocksEscort Proxy Network, Freeze $3.5M in Crypto
- Europol and partners disrupted the “SocksEscort” malicious proxy service, freezing $3.5 million in cryptocurrency.
- The network compromised over 369,000 routers and IoT devices across more than 163 countries.
- Law enforcement seized infrastructure including 34 domains and 23 servers in seven countries.
- A New York victim was allegedly defrauded of $1 million in cryptocurrency through the service.
- The operation, named Operation Lightning, revealed that a payment platform linked to the service received over $5.7 million (€5 million) in cryptocurrency.
Operation Lightning successfully dismantled the SocksEscort network by targeting its infrastructure used for global cybercrime activities including bank and crypto account takeovers. This coordinated effort between European and U.S. authorities highlights the importance of international cooperation in combating cyber threats.
The seizure of $3.5 million in cryptocurrency and dismantling of key infrastructure components marks a significant blow to cybercriminal operations facilitated by SocksEscort’s extensive proxy network spanning numerous countries worldwide. (Source)
