The Department of Justice announced March 4 that it seized LeakBase, one of the world’s largest online forums used by cyber criminals, to buy and sell stolen data and cybercrime tools.
FBI agents in the Salt Lake City Field Office and the San Deigo Field Office worked with the Utah Department of Public Safety and Provo Police Department to synchronize actions against LeakBase alongside officers in 14 countries. That effort was hosted by Europol in The Hague, the FBI said in a press release.
The FBI said that the United States and its partners shut down LeakBase, seized its data and two of its domains and collected additional evidence.
LeakBase had over 142,000 members and more than 215,000 messages between members, according to the FBI. The forum contained an archive of hacked databases from high profile attacks, including hundreds of millions of account credentials.
“The takedown of this cyber forum disrupts a major international platform that cybercriminals use to obtain and profit from the theft of sensitive personal, banking and account credentials,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
“This operation illustrates the strength of the United States and our international partners working across the globe to dismantle a critical cybercriminal forum,” Duva added.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Justice Department with broad international investigative support, the FBI said.
“This 14-country operation demonstrates the extraordinary cooperation with our international partners,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah.
“Working with our partners, we can take down even the most sophisticated cyber criminals and networks. My office remains steadfast in our commitment to investigate and seek justice for Americans who are targeted by individuals attempting to hide behind foreign borders,” Holyoak added.
Other recent cybercrime marketplaces taken down by the FBI include RaidForums in 2022 and BreachForums in 2023.