North Macedonian police arrest alleged administrator behind OLVX cybercrime market

The administrator behind a cybercriminal marketplace called OLVX was arrested this week in North Macedonia in a joint operation between the Balkan country’s Ministry of Interior and the FBI.

The suspect was not named, but the FBI and North Macedonia said a raid on the man’s home in the village of Golema Rečica was conducted after charges were filed.

Since 2023, OLVX has become a popular market where cybercriminals share stolen personal data, login credentials and other tools to help with cybercrime. 

“Active between 2023 and 2025, OLVX is alleged to have unlawfully sold victims’ personally identifiable information and login credentials via over 1,500 seller accounts,” the FBI said in a statement. “The existence of this marketplace directly endangered the digital security of thousands of American citizens who rely on the integrity of accounts they use.”

North Macedonian police said the suspect also ran another group called ONEMILI on Telegram that offered tools for fraudulent refund schemes and other scams. 

“Additionally, evidence was obtained indicating that the suspect had acquired and possessed child sexual abuse material (CSAM) for personal use through the Telegram application,” North Macedonia’s Interior Ministry said.   

Cybersecurity firm ZeroFox published a lengthy investigation into OLVX in 2023, warning that the site was becoming increasingly popular among cybercriminals selling phishing kits, remote desktop connections, credentials, stolen data and other tools. 

The site allowed criminals to pay each other through cryptocurrency instead of operating an escrow service like many other underground marketplaces. Users loaded funds onto the site and paid each other with the funds sent to the platform. 

Law enforcement agencies have taken down dozens of cybercriminal marketplaces over the last five years as the sites have become focal points for hackers exchanging stolen data, tools and tactics. 

Last week, the co-creator of a dark web cybercriminal forum called Empire Market was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison. 

Microsoft announced its own takedown on Wednesday of three popular Chinese phishing sites used by Chinese cybercriminals to send hundreds of millions of malicious messages impersonating over 75,000 organizations worldwide.