US indicts operator of The Real Deal dark web marketplace

BleepingComputer reports that the U.S. Department of Justice has charged British hacker Daniel Kaye, also known as Bestbuy, Popopret, UserL0ser, and Spdrman, for allegedly operating The Real Deal dark web marketplace, which has been dismantled in November 2016. Prior to its shutdown, The Real Deal has been used to sell stolen U.S. government agencies' login credentials, including those for systems used by the U.S. Navy, U.S. Postal Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration, as well as hacking tools. Aside from being accused of collaborating with TheDarkOverlord in the sale of stolen Social Security numbers, Kaye also allegedly engaged in LinkedIn and Twitter account trafficking. Meanwhile, earnings from operating The Real Deal were allegedly laundered by Kaye through the Bitcoin mixer service Bitmixer.io. "While living overseas, this defendant allegedly operated an illegal website that made hacking tools and login credentials available for purchase, including those for U.S. government agencies," noted U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan.