FBI Charges 20-Year-Old Hacker Running Massive Hacker Marketplace

The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Friday, March 24, 2023, that it had charged a 20-year-old man from Peekskill, New York, with running the notorious hacker site “BreachForums.” The site was a marketplace for stolen data, including login credentials, credit card details and personal information.

The man, Conor Brian Fitzpatrick, is accused of operating the forum under the name “pompompurin.” FBI agents arrested him on March 15. BreachForums launched in March 2022, after authorities seized its predecessor, RaidForums. It grew to more than 300,000 members, and prosecutors say it hosted databases containing billions of stolen records.

Fitzpatrick was charged with conspiracy to commit access device fraud. That charge carries a maximum of five years in prison.

The takedown is a real blow to the underground data trade. BreachForums was one of the largest English-language forums for buying and selling stolen data. Its closure sends a message to other forum operators: law enforcement is watching, and anonymity has limits.

For everyone else, the lesson is familiar. Use strong, unique passwords. Turn on two-factor authentication. Check credit reports and bank accounts regularly for signs of misuse, because data sold on forums like this often ends up in fraud.

The case shows what cooperation between law enforcement and security researchers can achieve. It won’t end the trade in stolen data. Copycat forums appeared within weeks. Still, it raises the cost and risk for the people who run them.

John King, CISSP, PMP, CISM

John King currently works in the greater Los Angeles area as a ISSO (Information Systems Security Officer). John has a passion for learning and developing his cyber security skills through education, hands on work, and studying for IT certifications.