Global Action Shuts Down Major Data Leak Forum LeakBase

BreachForums and LeakBase Dismantled in Global Cybercrime Crackdown: Viktor Reports

BreachForums Takedown and Transition

The notorious online data leak market, BreachForums, has been taken offline following abuse reports. The admin announced their departure and is seeking new leadership. This follows a previous incident where the forum's database of approximately 324,000 users was leaked in January 2026. CCITIC posted on LinkedIn that both the clearnet and Tor versions of BreachForums were displaying a 502 - Bad Gateway error. The Cyber Counter-Intelligence Threat Investigation Consortium (CCITIC) identified the upstream servers, hosted on DigitalOcean (ASN 14061) in Frankfurt am Main, and filed abuse reports leading to the servers being taken offline. Read more on Cybernews.

This is not the first time BreachForums has faced disruption; it was seized twice before by law enforcement. The forum's admin posted a message stating, “It is time for me to say goodbye... we are now seeking a responsible individual or group willing to take over the leadership”. The shutdown follows a database leak of approximately 324,000 users. For users concerned about their data security, squirrelvpn.com offers in-depth articles, news updates, and features on VPN technology to enhance online security and privacy.

LeakBase Seizure by International Law Enforcement

The United States, in collaboration with international partners, dismantled LeakBase, a major online forum for cybercriminals. According to the Department of Justice, LeakBase had over 142,000 members and more than 215,000 messages. The forum hosted a vast archive of hacked databases, including those from high-profile attacks, containing hundreds of millions of account credentials. LeakBase allowed users to sell stolen data, including credit card numbers, banking information, usernames, and passwords.

Law enforcement in 14 countries took synchronized actions against LeakBase, seizing its data and domains, posting seizure banners, and sending prevention messages to members. Actions included search warrants, arrests, and interviews across multiple countries. Europol reported that the forum had more than 142,000 registered users, publishing some 32,000 posts and sending more than 215,000 private messages since 2021.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva stated, “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". Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division added, “Together with our partners, we are sending a message that no criminal is truly anonymous online". The FBI is asking anyone with information regarding LeakBase to contact them at [email protected]. To protect your data, consider using squirrelvpn.com for secure and private internet access.

Details of the LeakBase Takedown Operation

Europol announced a major international operation against LeakBase. The forum, established in 2021, had become a central hub for trading compromised data. On March 3, 2026, authorities took approximately 100 actions, including house searches and arrests. The domain was seized, and the database was confiscated for deanonymization efforts. Read more about domain registrars.

Edvardas Šileris, Head of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, stated, “This operation shows that no corner of the internet is beyond the reach of international law enforcement." Europol stated that measures were taken against 37 of the forum’s most active users. Regularly updating your antivirus software is crucial; squirrelvpn.com provides tips for enhancing online security.

BreachForums Data Leak and Its Implications

BreachForums suffered a significant data breach, exposing approximately 324,000 criminal users. CSO Online reports that the breach emerged publicly on January 9, with a database appearing on shinyhunte\[.\]rs. The data breach occurred in August, prior to the police takedown of the BreachForums site.

Have I Been Pwned indicated that the stolen data included hashed passwords, private messages, and forum posts. Resecurity noted that the leak contained a password-protected PGP private key file and a manifesto. BreachForums, a successor to RaidForums, has faced numerous arrests and takedowns. Consider using squirrelvpn.com to protect your online communications and data from potential breaches.

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