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 the RaidForums website - which facilitated the sale of stolen data by millions of people around the world - and the allegations against the market administrator demonstrate the strength of the FBI's international collaboration," said the FBI Assistant Director.
The head of the Washington bureau, Steven M. D'Antuono, said:
"Cybercrime transcends borders, which is why the FBI is committed to working with our partners to bring any cybercriminals to justice - no matter where they live in the world or behind what 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 was launched in 2015, and since then has gained about 500.000 members. The huge illegal market, among other things, advertised tools that could be used to carry out cyber attacks and sold access to high-profile data leaks from governments and companies around the world.
RaidForums earned by charging different subscription levels that offered different access levels and features. Members could purchase packages that allowed them to unlock accounts, download stolen financial information and other sensitive data. They could also gain these packages by posting instructions on how to carry out hacks and other illegal activities.
it closed nicely, now where do we go? ;)