What does ISIS have to do with COVID-19

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people are looking for protective equipment, such as Tyvek masks and suits.

So here come the crooks who try to get rich with false promises and products. But they are not the only ones.

According to the US Department of Justice, it seems that even ISIS is involved in the game.

In a series of complaints released this week, the Justice Department uncovered and seized hundreds of accounts και ethereum, εκατομμύρια δολάρια και τέσσερις ιστότοπους από γνωστές ισλαμικές εξτρεμιστικές ομάδες. Οι τρομοκράτες χρησιμοποιούσαν αυτούς τους λογαριασμούς και τις σελίδες για να αποσπάσουν χρήματα με ένα “νόμιμο” τρόπο, που πήγαιναν για την terrorist operations.

Prosecutors say the confiscated encrypted digital money went to ISIS, al-Qassam Brigades, and al Qaeda. The seizure, according to the ministry, represents "the largest seizure of cryptocurrencies by the government in the context of terrorism." The amount is more than $ 1 million, according to Chainalysis, a blockchain company whose research tools were used.

The documents published by the Ministry [PDF] describe in detail how an ISIS agent had access to personal protection equipment for COVID-19 from a website. The fundraiser was called FaceMaskCenter.com.

FaceMaskCenter.com claimed to have NDA-approved N95 face masks, as well as many other products, such as Tyvek suits, gloves, goggles and thermometers.

It is not entirely clear to what extent the FaceMaskCenter page was a simple one or whether he actually sold what he claimed. However, there is a complaint against FaceMaskCenter.com that states that the masks the site had were manufactured by a Turkish company and did not meet FDA standards, as the page reported.

When a customer from the US contacted FaceMaskCenter asking to buy masks and other products for hospitals, nursing homes and other , the Ministry reports that a Syrian national based in Turkey was coming forward and offering up to 100.000 masks. It is unclear if the masks were ever delivered.

FaceMaskCenter claimed to be run by "health professionals" and was founded in 1996, when the domain was actually registered in late February 2020, according to court documents.

In addition to the seizure of the PPE website, the Pentagon said the US intelligence service had also dismantled funding for al Qaeda and the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' militant group. Agents reportedly discovered a money laundering operation, allegedly run by a Turk named Mehmet Akti.

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Written by giorgos

George still wonders what he's doing here ...

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