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Scrape Timestamp (UTC): 2024-05-15 17:58:54.070
Source: https://thehackernews.com/2024/05/fbi-seizes-breachforums-again-urges.html
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FBI Seizes BreachForums Again, Urges Users to Report Criminal Activity. Law enforcement agencies have officially seized control of the notorious BreachForums platform, an online bazaar known for peddling stolen data, for the second time within a year. The website ("breachforums[.]st") has been replaced by a seizure banner stating the clearnet cybercrime forum is under the control of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The operation is the result of a collaborative effort from authorities in Australia, Iceland, New Zealand, Switzerland, the U.K., the U.S., and Ukraine. The FBI has also taken control of the Telegram channel operated by Baphomet, who became the administrator of the forum following the arrest of his predecessor Conor Brian Fitzpatrick (aka pompompurin) in March last year. It's worth noting a prior iteration of BreachForums, hosted at breached.vc/.to/.co and managed by pompompurin, was seized by law enforcement in late June 2023. "This Telegram chat is under the control of the FBI," a message posted on the channel reads. "The BreachForums website has been taken down by the FBI and DOJ with assistance from international partners." "We are reviewing the site's backend data. If you have information to report about cyber criminal activity on BreachForums, please contact us: t.me/fbi_breachforums breachforums@fbi.gov breachforums.ic3.gov." It's currently not clear if Baphomet and his other fellow administrator ShinyHunters have been arrested, although the seizure banner depicts the profile pictures associated with both of them as behind bars. "From June 2023 until May 2024, BreachForums (hosted at breachforums.st/.cx/.is/.vc and run by ShinyHunters) was operating as a clear-net marketplace for cybercriminals to buy, sell, and trade contraband, including stolen access devices, means of identification, hacking tools, breached databases, and other illegal services," the agencies said. BreachForums emerged in March 2022 following the law enforcement dismantling of RaidForums and the arrest of its owner "Omnipotent." Following its shutdown in 2023, it resurfaced again after Baphomet teamed up with ShinyHunters to launch a new site under the same name.
Daily Brief Summary
The FBI has successfully seized BreachForums, a notorious marketplace for stolen data, marking the second takeover within a year.
BreachForums was operational from June 2023 until May 2024, facilitating the trade of illegal items like breached databases and hacking tools.
This seizure involved a multinational effort with contributions from authorities in Australia, Iceland, New Zealand, Switzerland, the U.K., the U.S., and Ukraine.
The FBI also took control of the Telegram channel operated by Baphomet, who assumed leadership after the previous administrator's arrest in March 2023.
A prior version of the site was taken down in late June 2023, and has faced repeated law enforcement actions against its various domains.
While the recent operational status and arrests of administrators such as Baphomet and ShinyHunters are still unconfirmed, their profile images on the seizure banner suggest incarceration.
The FBI is actively urging individuals with information related to criminal activities on BreachForums to come forward and contact them via Telegram or email.