In an action against what has been described as one of the largest hacker forums in the world, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on  April 12, 2022, that it has taken down RaidForums’ website and arrested its founder/administrator. According to DOJ, the domains seized were “Raidforums.com,” “Rf.ws,” and “Raid.lol.”

In its announcement, the DOJ states that “from in or around 2016 through February, RaidForums served as a major online marketplace for individuals to buy and sell hacked or stolen databases containing the sensitive personal and financial information of victims in the United States and elsewhere, including stolen bank routing and account numbers, credit card information, login credentials, and social security numbers. Prior to its seizure, RaidForums members used the platform to offer for sale hundreds of databases of stolen data containing more than 10 billion unique records for individuals residing in the United States and internationally.”

RaidForums was also used for electronic harassment through raiding and swatting. The DOJ further stated, “The seizure of these domains by the government will prevent RaidForums members from using the platform to traffic in data stolen from corporations, universities, and governmental entities in the United States and elsewhere, including databases containing the sensitive, private data of millions of individuals around the world.”