Seized domain
Federal agents are targeting domain crime involving Covid-19, and the latest shutdown involves the domain FaceMaskCenter.com.
Registered in early 2020, the domain was used to facilitate PPE crime, allegedly by a facilitator of the terrorist organization ISIS.
FaceMaskCenter.com claimed to sell FDA-approved N95 face masks, along with a wide range of other PPE, including Tyvek suits, gloves, and thermometers.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced the disruption of two terrorism financing campaigns that utilized cryptocurrency donations, following a multi-agency investigation conducted by the FBI, HSI, and IRS-CI. The investigation led to the largest ever seizure of cryptocurrency assets related to terrorism financing, with more than $1 million worth of cryptocurrency recovered from terror finance campaigns.
A third complaint highlights a scheme by Murat Cakar, an ISIS facilitator who is responsible for managing select ISIS hacking operations, to sell fake personal protective equipment via the domain FaceMaskCenter.com:
FaceMaskCenter.com has been seized
The unsealed forfeiture complaint seized Cakar’s website as well as four related Facebook pages used to facilitate the scheme. With this action, the United States has averted the further victimization of those seeking COVID-19 protective gear, and disrupted the continued funding of ISIS.
