The FBI and the Department of Justice (DoJ) have seized the infamous cybercrime and hacker forums Breach Forums. This breaking development occurred just an hour ago when the forum’s homepage was replaced by a message from the authorities announcing the seizure.
This seizure differs from previous ones, as Hackread.com can confirm. Authorities have not only managed to take over Breach Forums’ clear net domain, but they have also seized its Escrow domain and dark web domain accessible through the Tor browser.
“Breach Forums is under the control of the FBI. The 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 cybercriminal activity on BreachForums, please contact us.”
FBI on Breach Forums
Since this was an international law enforcement operation, the countries involved included New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Ukraine, and Iceland.
Furthermore, the FBI has taken over additional communication channels associated with the forum. This includes the official Telegram account of the forum @Breachforums, the group chat Telegram account @Baphchat, and the official Telegram group used by its main administrator Baphomet @OfficialBaphomet to announce critical updates.
“This Telegram chat is under the control of the FBI. 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 cybercriminal activity on BreachForums, please contact us.”
FBI on Telegram
Arrest Made?
As of the current moment, the FBI and the DoJ have not disclosed any details regarding arrests. However, unconfirmed reports suggest that two arrests have been made, potentially including one of the administrators, Baphomet.
History of Breach Forums After Raid Forums
Breach Forums drew inspiration from the now-seized Raid Forums (RF), which was created and administered by Omnipotent, also known as Diogo Santos Coelho. Following the shutdown of Raid Forums, a member known as “Pompompurin” created a new version, opting to name it Breach Forums instead of continuing Raid Forum’s legacy.
After a brief period of success, Breach Forums met the same fate as Raid Forums when it was taken down by the FBI. Its administrator, Pompompurin, also known as Conor Brian Fitzpatrick, was arrested in New York.
It’s noteworthy that while Coelho continues to face legal battles in the United Kingdom, Fitzpatrick was charged and received a 20-year supervised sentence.
In June 2023, Hackread.com exclusively reported on the revival of Breach Forums under the leadership of ShinyHunters, a highly notorious hacker group. Since then, the group has been operational, making headlines for several high-profile data breaches and leaks. Notable incidents include:
and 100s of others.
Nevertheless, Hackread.com is closely monitoring the situation. Once there is an official update from either of the agencies involved, this article will be promptly updated to reflect the latest information.
