FBI and Dutch police dismantle VerifTools marketplace for fake IDs

The FBI and Dutch Police have shut down VerifTools, an online marketplace that sold fraudulent identity documents, following the seizure of servers in Amsterdam that hosted the illegal operation.

Authorities said VerifTools was a major platform that produced and facilitated the sale of fake driver’s licenses, passports, and other identity documents used to bypass verification systems or assume false identities. These counterfeit documents were linked to crimes including bank fraud, phishing, helpdesk scams, fraudulent benefit claims, and efforts to avoid detection under Know Your Customer regulations. Investigators also noted that some younger users turned to the site to bypass age restrictions.

The takedown was the result of a joint investigation involving the FBI, Dutch Police, the EICD, the Rotterdam Cybercrime team, and Welsh police. The FBI began its probe in August 2022 after uncovering a conspiracy to use stolen identity data to access cryptocurrency accounts. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, investigators found that VerifTools offered counterfeit documents from all 50 U.S. states and several foreign countries for as little as nine dollars, payable in cryptocurrency.

The Dutch Police estimate the platform generated at least €1.3 million, while the FBI has tied it to roughly $6.4 million in illicit proceeds. Law enforcement said obtaining a fake document through VerifTools was as simple as uploading a photo and entering false personal information, which was then used to generate a convincing image of an ID card.

During the operation, authorities seized two physical servers and 21 virtual servers, effectively taking the platform offline. The FBI has placed a seizure notice on the VerifTools.net domain.

While the site’s administrators have not yet been identified, Dutch authorities said the confiscated data from the servers may lead to arrests. “The entire infrastructure of the website hosted on the servers has been secured and copied,” the Dutch Police announced. “This data is now under investigation. The Public Prosecution Service does not rule out future arrests.”

If charges follow, Dutch law provides for prison sentences of up to six years for those who used false identification or counterfeit payment.