ATLANTA — The Justice Department announced Monday it has seize a web domain responsible for millions in unauthorized bank transfers.
The Justice Department seized the domain web3adspanels.org, which was used in a major bank account takeover scheme targeting U.S. victims. Government authorities said the activity resulted in more than $28 million in attempted losses and about $14.6 million in actual losses.
The seizure comes after an investigation by the FBI, which identified at least 19 victims affected by the fraud scheme. It is part of a larger pattern of account takeover fraud that has seen a surge in complaints, with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center receiving more than 5,100 reports since January 2025, amounting to more than $262 million in reported losses.
The FBI Atlanta Field Office is investigating the case.
According to affidavits filed in support of the domain seizure, the criminal group behind the fraud used fake advertisements that appeared legitimate through search engines like Google and Bing. These ads directed victims to counterfeit banking websites controlled by the criminals, who captured their login information via targeted malicious software.
Criminals impersonated financial institutions to gain unauthorized access to victims’ bank accounts as part of the scheme. Once the login credentials were obtained, the criminals drained funds from these accounts, leading to significant financial loss for individuals and businesses alike.
The seized domain hosted fake bank websites and contained stolen login credentials for thousands of victims. Law enforcement officials said that the domain continued to support fraudulent activities as recently as November 2025.
Support from international law enforcement has been crucial in this investigation. Authorities from Estonia have collected and preserved data from servers associated with the phishing pages used in this scheme.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, along with U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia, expressed determination to tackle such scams.
“The takeover of this domain disrupts the operational capacity of these criminals,” Galeotti stated. “We will continue to leverage both domestic and international resources to safeguard American citizens from these types of fraud.”
The FBI has previously taken significant action against cybercriminals, securing convictions against more than 180 individuals since 2020 and recovering more than $350 million in victim losses. Their ongoing efforts reflect a commitment to combatting fraud and protecting consumers in the digital age.
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