Online phishing scheme steals bitcoin from dark web users

After a complaint to police, Wallingford, Connecticut resident Michael Rocho was arrested last week on multiple charges related to an online phishing scheme he allegedly launched against Dark Web accounts to steal bitcoin credit, announced the US Department of Justice.

Rocho, 34, allegedly contacted Dark Web users via email and asked them to click a link that would take them to various marketplaces on the Dark Web. When users clicked the fake link, they were redirected to a fake login page that mimicked the real login interface of the market it was promoting. After giving away their real credentials, Rocho would steal their username and password.

The scheme was elaborate: once he had access to the credentials, he took over the accounts that users had with different marketplaces. After transferring their bitcoin credit to his virtual wallet, he sold it for US dollars, which he deposited in a bank account. When arrested, the man had around 10,000 credentials saved on his computer.

Because he was arrested based on a complaint and there was no clear evidence of his guilt, Rocho was released on bond and is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.