US and European law enforcement officials announced Tuesday night that they had closed one of the largest hacking forums and arrested its administrator.
RaidForums, which served as a popular online marketplace for hacking tools, stolen data, shut down and confiscated its server through "TOURNIQUET", as he said Europol.
The operation involved law enforcement authorities from the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Portugal and Romania.
“The seizure of RaidForums - which facilitated the sale of stolen data by millions people around the world – and the charges against the market operator are a testament to the strength of the FBI's international partnerships," the FBI's assistant director said.
The agency's Washington chief, Steven M. D'Antuono, said:
“Cybercrime crosses borders, which is why the FBI is committed to working with our partners to bring every cybercriminal to justice – no matter where they live in the world or what they're behind device they are trying to hide".
According to reports, 21-year-old Diogo Santos Coelho (also known as "Omnipotent" and "Downloading") from Portugal is accused of operating the site from at least January 2015 to January 2022. He was arrested in the UK. on 31 January and remains in custody pending extradition proceedings.
In an interview that posted by The Record last January, Omnipotent said it was not particularly concerned about law enforcement.
"I'm just assuming the forum is monitored, but nowadays everyone is monitored. It is very likely that any site of this size will be monitored by many federal and non-federal entities. In conclusion, it does not bother me as I try to be a law-abiding citizen. "
RaidForums, started operating in 2015, and since then had gained around 500.000 members. The massive illegal market, among other things, advertised tools that could be used to carry out cyberattacks and sold access to high-profile data leaks from governments and companies around the world.
RaidForums was making money by charging different levels of membership that offered different levels of access and possibilities. Τα μέλη μπορούσαν να αγοράσουν πακέτα που τους επέτρεπαν να ξεκλειδώνουν λογαριασμούς, να κατεβάζουν κλεμμένες οικονομικές πληροφορίες και άλλα ευαίσθητα data. They could also earn these packages by posting instructions on how to conduct hacks and other illegal actions.
it closed nicely, now where do we go? ;)