BreachForums, one of the most popular clearnet forums for sharing stolen data, malware and other warez programs, is believed to have been shut down by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with its backend seized and one of its key operators reportedly arrested.
As reported by BleepingComputer, clearnet domains belonging to BreachForums were, as of Wednesday evening, displaying the usual FBI message, indicating that the website was now under the control of law enforcement.
“This website has been taken down by the FBI and the Department of Justice with the help of international partners,” the message says. “We are reviewing the backend data of this site. If you have information to report about cybercriminal activity on BreachForums, please contact us,” the message concludes.
Baphomet arrested
The new homepage also showed Telegram profile photos of two operators, Baphomet and ShinyHunters, overlaid with prison bars, suggesting they had been arrested. The FBI also took control of Baphomet's Telegram account, as it was used to display the same message seen on the BreachForums homepage.
At press time, however, the domains appear to have been recovered, as they now redirect to a new Telegram channel, called Jacuzzi 2.0. There, the operators confirmed having regained control of the domains, but also confirmed the arrest of Baphomet.
“Hello everyone, we regret to inform you that administrator Baphomet (our 'space cowboy') has been arrested, leading to the seizure of virtually our entire infrastructure by the FBI,” the pinned message reads.
“At this time, the future of our forum remains uncertain. No members of ShinyHunters have been arrested. We are currently awaiting further confirmation from our staff and will keep you informed with any new announcements on this channel.”
BreachForums was the successor to RaidForums, which was created in 2015 and operated until the FBI dismantled it two years ago after becoming a prominent forum for sharing stolen data.
From its ashes emerged Breached, a similar forum run by Conor Brian Fitzpatrick, aka Pompompurin. This was also confiscated by the authorities along with its administrator.
