LeakBase Cybercrime Forum Shut Down, Suspects Arrested

"A credit-based economy and reputation-driven user system helped build trust among offenders and sustain a thriving underground forum. One of the forum's notable internal rules prohibited the sale or publication of any data related to Russia, hinting at the origin of LeakBase's operators."

"LeakBase had been active since 2021 and in December 2025 it had roughly 142,000 registered users, who sold and bought stolen information, including account credentials, personally identifiable information, payment card data, and bank account details."

"As part of Operation Leak, law enforcement shut down two domains used by the forum and seized the LeakBase database. Seizure of the database enabled the identification of 'multiple' users. Evidence collected by investigators included user account details, forum posts, private messages, and IP logs."

LeakBase, an underground forum operational since 2021, facilitated the sale and purchase of stolen information including account credentials, personal identification data, payment card information, and bank account details. Operation Leak, an international law enforcement action, resulted in the shutdown of two LeakBase domains and seizure of its database containing approximately 215,000 private messages and 32,000 posts. The seized evidence included user account details, forum communications, and IP logs, enabling identification of multiple users. The forum maintained a credit-based economy and reputation system that fostered trust among offenders. Law enforcement agencies from North America, Europe, and the APAC region participated, making arrests, conducting searches, and taking unspecified measures against 37 highly active users.

Read at SecurityWeek