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On 4 December 2024, law-enforcement authorities disabled 50 servers linked to Manson Market and fake online shops, according to Polizeidirektion Hannover. Investigators said the network used imitation payment pages to capture banking and personal information, then offered stolen records through a marketplace. Police reported more than 63,000 records, around 57 victims and losses exceeding €250,000 as of their 5 December announcement. Two suspects were arrested; the reviewed reports do not establish the case’s later outcome.
What was Manson Market?
Manson Market was an illegal online marketplace for stolen information, identified by SecurityWeek in its 5 December 2024 report. Hannover police described the site as a specialized marketplace and referred to it as “manson-market.” Investigators said buyers could filter stolen data by region and account balance, a feature that could help fraudsters select records for targeted scams. SecurityWeek’s report names the marketplace; the police announcement describes its role in the investigation.
How did investigators say the fraud worked?
Impersonation calls and stolen credentials
The investigation began in autumn 2022, when Hannover’s specialized cybercrime investigators and the Verden cybercrime prosecutor’s office examined reports of callers posing as bank employees. Police said the callers sought sensitive information, including transaction authentication numbers, addresses, dates of birth and answers to security questions. Investigators traced some of the information to an online marketplace where stolen data was offered.
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Fake shops and imitation payment pages
Investigators also found online shops designed to appear convincing and direct customers to imitation payment-service pages. According to Hannover police, those pages captured banking and personal details, which were then offered through Manson Market. This is the police account of the investigated network; the reported figures do not independently verify each record or establish the conduct of every marketplace user. The European Association for Secure Transactions also summarized the alleged connection between phishing shops and the marketplace in its 5 December 2024 account.
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What happened in the 4 December 2024 operation?
Authorities carried out coordinated actions on 4 December. Hannover police said they switched off and seized 50 servers and secured more than 200 terabytes of digital traces. The infrastructure included Manson Market, other criminal marketplaces and fake shops. Searches were reported in Germany and Austria, while police said the servers were hosted in Germany, Finland, the Netherlands and Norway.
The police release lists cooperation with Europol and agencies from the Netherlands, Finland, Austria, Czechia, Poland and Norway. These are participating authorities, not a list of countries where servers were located or arrests occurred. The separate geography reported for searches and infrastructure should not be conflated. Europol’s announcement is available at its newsroom page.
Evidence and other property reported seized
Hannover police said officers secured more than 80 storage devices, phones and computers, as well as cash and cryptocurrency worth over €63,000. That seized-asset figure is separate from the estimate of money lost by victims. The announcement also quotes Lower Saxony Minister of the Interior and Sport Daniela Behrens: “Das Internet ist kein rechtsfreier Raum!”—translated as “The internet is not a law-free space!”
What figures did police report?
| Measure | Reported figure | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Servers | 50 | Hannover police said the servers were switched off and seized during the 4 December 2024 operation. |
| Digital traces | More than 200 terabytes | Volume reported by Hannover police. |
| Captured data records | More than 63,000 | Police-reported records collected and offered through the marketplace. |
| Victims and losses | Around 57 victims; more than €250,000 | Police estimate as of the 5 December 2024 announcement, not a final adjudicated total. |
| Suspects arrested | Two, aged 27 and 37 | Arrested on European arrest warrants, according to Hannover police; ages also reported by SecurityWeek. |
| Cash and cryptocurrency | More than €63,000 | Police-reported amount seized; distinct from reported victim losses. |
Some secondary coverage describes “over 50” servers or compresses the operation as a server seizure. The police release specifies 50 and says they were switched off and seized; Europol’s account uses “over 50.” OCCRP reported around €250,000 lost by 57 victims, broadly consistent with the police estimate. See OCCRP’s report.
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What is known about the suspects and the case’s outcome?
Hannover police reported that two suspects, aged 27 and 37, were arrested on European arrest warrants. The reviewed announcements and reports document arrests and the infrastructure disruption, but do not establish subsequent charges, a trial result, convictions or the final disposition of seized assets. An arrest is not a conviction, and the operation itself does not show that proceedings have concluded.
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