CRTC imposes $300K fine against Dark Web marketplace vendors and admin

OTTAWA-GATINEAU — The CRTC’s chief compliance and enforcement officer, Steven Harroun, announced today penalties totalling $300,000 against four Canadians for their involvement in the Dark Web marketplace Canadian HeadQuarters, also known as CanadianHQ. Following the execution of warrants by CRTC staff in the greater Montreal area during 2020 and 2021, the marketplace was taken offline. “Before shutting down, CanadianHQ was one of the largest Dark Web marketplaces in the world and significantly contributed to harmful cyber activity in Canada. It specialized in the sale of goods and services, including spamming services, phishing kits, stolen credentials and access to compromised computers,...