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The operators of RaidForums have publicly announced they are selling the entire platform, including its domain, database, and infrastructure.
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The sellers say they’ll only accept payment in crypto, but they’re cool with using a middleman to make the deal happen.
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Whoever buys the cybercrime forum gets everything that goes with it, including the digital assets, to enable them keep the forum running in no time without hiccup.
Popular cybercrime forum RaidForums is apparently up for grabs. Its current administrators are offering the complete platform to “serious buyers”.
This sale could mark a major shift in the cybercrime landscape. A new owner might revive or rebrand one of the web’s most infamous data-trading hubs.
The Complete Cybercrime Package for Sale
The administrators announced the sale on the site “raidforums.st”. They cited a lack of time to manage the forum effectively as their reason for selling.
The offer is for full ownership. It includes everything needed to restart operations immediately. The asset package is comprehensive:
- The RaidForums domain
- Complete database of the forum, containing user information and posts
- The underlying VPS infrastructure
- The forum’s Telegram channel
The sellers are seeking cryptocurrency payments only. This shows how secret the deal is. They’ve also said they’re okay with using people they trust as go-betweens. This would ensure a secure transaction process for both parties.
RaidForums History and Uncertain Future
RaidForums was a really popular online spot for hackers that kicked off in 2015. The forum specialized in selling access to stolen personal and financial data. The site once had over 530,000 members.
In 2022, law enforcement authorities from the US, UK, and Europe teamed up and shut it down and arrested its Portuguese founder.
This sale announcement follows the recent return of “RaidForums V2” online. The forum reappeared at the same clearnet address and on a new Tor network (onion) site.
The forum’s existing database is a particularly valuable asset. It contains a massive trove of historical threat intelligence. This includes information on hundreds of thousands of users. A similar database leak in May 2023 exposed details of 478,000 members.
The sale of such an established platform is significant – reviving an old cybercrime group is easy once it’s sold. It gives cybercriminals a fresh hangout where they can trade stolen data, hacking tools, and other illicit activities.
This development shows that cybercrime markets hardly go extinct completely. Even after police shutdowns, platforms like RaidForums still have value in the criminal world because of their existing setup and well-known name.
The Legal Reckoning: Forums Face Intense Scrutiny
The plan to sell RaidForums comes as law enforcement is really cracking down on English-language cybercrime sites. These actions range from disrupting specific hacking operations, like the FBI’s takedown of the dark web group behind the Qantas hack, to the big sentencing just weeks ago highlights this reality.
On September 16, Conor Brian Fitzpatrick, the 22-year-old who started BreachForums, got three years in prison again. This case directly mirrors what RaidForums did. After authorities closed RaidForums, Fitzpatrick started BreachForums. Very quickly, over 330,000 people signed up.
The Justice Department made it clear, “After law enforcement shut down RaidForums, the defendant created and ran BreachForums, a marketplace where criminals could buy private info,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti. This shows the Justice Department will keep bringing to justice those who try to sell stolen information.
Fitzpatrick was charged with serious crimes, like conspiracy to use access devices and possession of child abuse material. He had to give up over 100 domain names, many devices, and crypto earnings. Attorneys pointed out that BreachForums had access to 888 datasets with over 14 billion records of personal info.
This sentencing sends a clear warning to anyone running these sites. It links BreachForums to the shutdown of RaidForums, saying they are just part of ongoing criminal activity.
