Four darknet “card” websites that accepted crypto payments have reportedly been shut down by Russian authorities. The platforms affected are Trump’s Dump, the Sky-Fraud forum, UAS Store and the famous Ferum Shop.

Card websites offer stolen credit cards for sale that can be used to purchase items such as luxury goods or high-end gift cards, which can then be redeemed for cash, usually via person-to-person transactions. These credit cards are stolen from compromised online banking platforms and online store platforms.

According to a report from Elliptic on Wednesday, the four dark web platforms had earned over $263 million in popular cryptocurrencies from the sale of these stolen credit cards. The report also indicates that buyers mainly use bitcoin (BTC), litecoin (LTC) and ether (ETH) to pay for these cards.

Ferum Shop, one of the platforms seized by Russian Interior Ministry officials, was the biggest seller of stolen credit cards. The platform reportedly raised over $256 million from the sale of these stolen cards for crypto.

Carding websites are among a list of darknet markets that use crypto for money laundering activities. This latest arrest is indicative of the heat in the world of Russian cybercrime with many arrests announced in recent times.

In January, Russian authorities attacked members of the notorious REvil ransomware gang and recovered approximately $5.5 million in cash and crypto.

For more stories like this, be sure to subscribe to The Block at Telegram.