ATLANTA – Daniel Kaye has been charged with access device fraud and money laundering conspiracy. Kaye’s charges stem from his alleged operation of The Real Deal, a Dark Web marketplace that sold, among other things, hacking tools and stolen login credentials, and the laundering of funds he received from that marketplace.
“While living overseas, this defendant allegedly operated an illegal website that made hacking tools and login credentials, including those for U.S. government agencies, available for purchase,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. . “This case is a timely reminder, during National Cyber Security Awareness Month, that federal law enforcement will ensure that those accused of violating US laws face their day in court, regardless of whether where in the world they live.”
“This case is an example of our continued determination to work with our international partners to hold criminals accountable, no matter how sophisticated their cyber fraud or their geographic location,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Let this indictment send a message that the FBI and our partners place a high priority on investigating and prosecuting hackers who interfere with our infrastructure and threaten the personal safety of our citizens.”
According to US Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Kaye allegedly ran The Real Deal, a Dark Web marketplace for illegal items, including stolen login credentials for US government computers; stolen account login credentials for social media accounts and bank accounts; stolen credit card information; stolen personally identifiable information; illegal drugs; botnets; and computer hacking tools. The marketplace was organized into categories, such as Exploit Code, Counterfeit, Drugs, Cheats & More, Government Data, and Weapons. The marketplace allowed sellers to create accounts and list their products. These sellers maintained profile pages offering a rating system where buyers could rank sellers.
The indictment alleges that Kaye listed for sale on The Real Deal login credentials for US government computers belonging to the US Postal Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the US- of. Marina. The indictment further alleges that Kaye, along with an individual (or individuals) known as “thedarkoverlord,” trafficked stolen social security numbers; and that Kaye possessed 15 or more stolen login credentials for Twitter and LinkedIn. Finally, the indictment alleges that Kaye laundered the cryptocurrency he received from The Real Deal through Bitmixer.io, a website that offered Bitcoin “mixing” services and, through its “mixing” algorithm, attempted to keep users anonymous, private and immune to Bitcoin Chain Trace Analysis.
On April 13, 2021, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Kaye with five counts of unauthorized solicitation access device fraud, in violation of 18 USC § 1029(a)(6), one count of using and trafficking in unauthorized access devices, in violation of 18 USC § 1029(a)(2), two counts of possession of unauthorized and counterfeit access devices, in violation of 18 USC § 1029(a)(3), and one count of money laundering conspiracy, in violation of 18 USC § 1956(h). Kaye was out of the country at the time of the indictment and, in September 2022, accepted his extradition from Cyprus to the United States.
Daniel Kaye, also known as “Popopret”, “Bestbuy”, “TheRealDeal”, “Logger”, “David Cohen”, “Marc Chapon”, “UserL0ser”, “Spdrman”, “Dlinch Kravitz”, “Fora Ward” , and “Ibrahim Sahil,” 34, of London, England, were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda T. Walker. The public is reminded that the indictment contains only allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In addition, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the Cyprus Ministry of Justice and Public Order, the Cyprus Police, the German Bundeskriminalamt and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency assisted in the investigation.
Assistant US Attorney Samir Kaushal is prosecuting the case.
October is recognized as National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Unfortunately, criminals continue to victimize people online by exploiting their personal safety, financial security and identity. To help victim service providers and allied professionals better serve victims of cybercrime and keep them safer online, the Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center offers many resources to updated the field regarding cyber security and the tools available to serve victims. Please visit their website to learn more: https://www.ovcttac.gov/.
For more information, please contact the US Attorney’s Office of Public Affairs at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The web address for the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
