The FBI has seized the domain of Virtualine, a hosting provider accused of supporting cybercrime, money laundering and the distribution of child sexual abuse material.
Authorities had seized virtualine[.]net following an international investigation. The service operated under several names, including Secury, Massgod, Spamhouse, Lanedo and Omegatech.
Virtualine allegedly advertised hosting services for illegal activities, including phishing, credit card fraud and spam. Prosecutors said the company ignored abuse complaints and continued supporting websites linked to illegal content.
According to court records, Virtualine also helped operators of a forum create a replacement website after receiving complaints from authorities in Germany, Canada and Australia, as well as child protection organizations and a victim’s lawyer.
Authorities also accused the company of using Bitcoin payments and attempting to hide the source of money earned through criminal activity. Some payments were reportedly linked to criminal groups.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office led the investigation, working with law enforcement agencies in Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.