Law enforcement agencies have officially taken control of the notorious BreachForums platform, an online marketplace known for trafficking in stolen data, for the second time within a year.

The website ("breachforums[.]st") has been replaced by a seizure banner stating that the clearnet cybercrime forum is now under the control of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The operation is the outcome of a collaborative effort from authorities in Australia, Iceland, New Zealand, Switzerland, the U.K., the U.S., and Ukraine.

The FBI has also assumed control of the Telegram channel operated by Baphomet, who assumed the role of administrator of the forum following the arrest of his predecessor Conor Brian Fitzpatrick (aka pompompurin) in March of the previous year.

It's important to note that a previous version of BreachForums, hosted at breached.vc/.to/.co and managed by pompompurin, was seized by law enforcement in late June 2023.

"This Telegram chat is under the control of the FBI," a message posted on the channel reads. "The BreachForums website has been taken down by the FBI and DOJ with assistance from international partners."

"We are examining the site's backend data. If you have information to report about cyber criminal activity on BreachForums, please contact us: t.me/fbi_breachforums [email protected] breachforums.ic3.gov."

It's currently unclear whether Baphomet and his co-administrator ShinyHunters have been arrested, although the seizure banner depicts their profile pictures as behind bars.

"From June 2023 until May 2024, BreachForums (hosted at breachforums.st/.cx/.is/.vc and run by ShinyHunters) was operating as a clearnet marketplace for cybercriminals to buy, sell, and trade illicit goods, including stolen access devices, means of identification, hacking tools, breached databases, and other illegal services," the agencies said.

BreachForums emerged in March 2022 following the law enforcement dismantling of RaidForums and the arrest of its owner "Omnipotent." Following its shutdown in 2023, it resurfaced again after Baphomet partnered with ShinyHunters to launch a new site under the same name.

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