FBI and Europol Dismantle LeakBase Cybercrime Forum with 142,000 Members

LeakBase, one of the internet's most active cybercrime forums with over 142,000 registered users and more than 215,000 posts, was dismantled in an international operation led by the FBI and Europol on March 3–4, the U.S. Department of Justice said. Authorities in 14 countries executed coordinated actions including warrants, arrests, and site seizures, replaced the platform with seizure banners, and collected user data, posts, and IP logs to support ongoing prosecutions. Officials said LeakBase functioned as a marketplace for stolen credentials, financial data, and other sensitive information, and noted that disrupting such hubs can reduce the pool of leaked data that criminals may use for social engineering, targeted phishing, and account takeovers across digital ecosystems including the crypto sector.