According to the latest rumors, the now-defunct cybercrime market BreachForums will resume this month under the direction of the infamous hacker group ShinyHunters.
Vx-underground broke the news on Twitter Friday afternoon.
Although the reputable online hacker repository – favored by bad actors and security professionals alike – did not reveal its source, vx-underground told its 200K plus followers that “BreachedForums will resume its activities later this month.”
“It has new administration. It will be lead by the infamous ShinyHunters group,” the tweet said.
ShinyHunters is a notorious hacker gang identified by security researchers in 2020, typically known for using a "shiny" Pokemon avatar for its social media profiles.
The group is also known for its ruthlessness and efficacy in carrying out multiple high-profile data breaches, including T-Mobile and AT&T, costing victims "tens of millions of dollars" in losses.
In spring 2022, the mysterious threat actors were found trying to sell the stolen data of over 70 million AT&T users and 40 million T-Mobile users within days of each other on dark markets.
Last August, one of ShinyHunters top members, 21-year old Frenchman Sébastien Raoult, and two other French nationals were arrested in Morocco and extradited to the US this January.
Charged with conspiracy, computer intrusion, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and more, Raoult could serve up to 116 years if convicted.
Meanwhile, the tale of the resurrection of BreachForums has been circulating on the web ever since the site’s owner and administrator – known online as Pompompurin – was arrested by the FBI back in March.
Although the popular hacker forum and marketplace tried to stay afloat in the days following the arrest, BreachForums' second in command decided to close up shop over fears the site had been infiltrated by the FBI.
Hours after news about Pompompurin’s arrest broke, BreachForums was flooded with users inquiring about the website’s future.
Several other BreachForums substitutes have popped up online since, including one site by an Ex-Anonymous hacker from Brazil.
Former BreachForums users and administrators, assuming the new sites were simply traps set up by the FBI, stayed away from the replacement sites, contributing to the fact that none of the replicas ever really took off.
Several vx-underground followers had similar feelings about the validity of Friday’s claims.
As for Pompompurin - aka 20-year-old Conor Fitzpatrick from upstate New York – the FBI nemesis now faces a maximum five years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit access device fraud.
Fitzpatrick originally created BreachForums to replace another popular criminal marketplace busted by the feds in April 2022, Raid Forums.
Just this week, the administrator of yet another newly launched cybercriminal website posted a database filled with sensitive data belonging to nearly 500K former members of RaidForums.
Ironically, the leak included the type of information RaidForums users would buy and sell themselves, such as usernames, passwords, and email addresses.
Cybernews will follow the story.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are markedmarked