FBI, international partners take down two key cybercrime forums
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![Screenshot of a law enforcement takedown notice placed on the Notion[.]to cybercrime hacker forum.](https://images.axios.com/VrUSxUBsnIhmz44MjVv3AqlnViM=/0x0:1920x1080/1920x1080/2025/01/29/1738186323644.png?w=3840)
Screenshot: Nulled hacker forum's homepage on Jan. 29
Law enforcement agencies around the world have arrested two people and seized the web infrastructure tied to two of the world's biggest cybercrime forums where hackers sold stolen passwords and hacking tools, the Justice Department said in a press release today.
Why it matters: Dismantling these online hubs deals a serious blow to malicious hackers who rely on forums to turn a profit from their crimes.
Zoom in: International law enforcement, led by German authorities, carried out an operation to shut down the infamous Cracked and Nulled hacker forums this week, Europol said in a press release.
- Two people were arrested in connection to the forums, and law enforcement seized 17 servers and over 50 electronic devices while searching 7 properties over the last two days, the release notes.
- Law enforcement also seized around 300,000 euros in cash and cryptocurrencies, and 12 domains tied to Cracked and Nulled.
Catch up quick: Several security researchers spotted that law enforcement placed seizure notices on the forums' homepages Wednesday.
- "This website, as well as the information on the customers and victims of the website, has been seized by international law enforcement partners," the notice reads.
- Law enforcement from the United States, Italy, Spain, Europe, France, Greece, Australia and Romania each have a logo on the seizure notice.
- The FBI seized the domains for Cracked and Nulled hackers forums, according to security researchers, and the forums' name servers are now listed as FBI addresses.
- One of Cracked's moderators said in a Telegram post this afternoon that the forum had "been seized" during an operation and that the forum was awaiting court documents from their data center.
- "A sad day indeed for our community," the moderator added.
Between the lines: Cracked and Nulled were both sprawling marketplaces where cybercriminals could sell software licenses, stolen login credentials and hacking tools.
- The Justice Department estimates that Cracked had more 4 million users and generated roughly $4 million in revenue. Tools and information sold on Cracked impacted at least 17 million U.S. victims.
- Nulled had more than 5 million users and generated around $1 million in revenue annually, the DOJ said in its release. A product advertised on Nulled claimed to have the names and Social Security numbers for 500,000 U.S. citizens.
Yes, but: Ethical hackers also used some of these forums to discuss their findings.
The big picture: The seizures are among a long list of international law enforcement operations targeting cybercriminals and their web operations in recent years, including the takedown of hacker forum BreachForums and prolific ransomware gangs.
Go deeper: How a ransomware attack works
Editor's note: This story and headline have been updated with news from Thursday's DOJ announcement.
