KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 — The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced the seizure of the LeakBase database, described as one of the world’s largest online forums for cybercriminals to buy and sell stolen data and tools.

On March 3 and 4, law enforcement agencies in 14 countries, including Malaysia, carried out synchronised actions against LeakBase and its users in a coordinated effort hosted by Europol in The Hague.  

The Malay Mail : Authorities shut down the forum, seized its data and domains, posted seizure banners, sent prevention messages to members and collected additional evidence.

The Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) said its Special Operations Division executed a search warrant at a web hosting company in Kuala Lumpur. 

Cyber forensic examinations confirmed LeakBase was operating through servers hosted at the facility, leading to the seizure of digital evidence and the shutdown of the forum’s domain.

“The FBI, Europol, and law enforcement agencies from around the world executed a takedown of LeakBase, one of the largest online cybercriminal platforms, seizing users’ accounts, posts, credit details, private messages, and IP logs for evidentiary purposes,” said Assistant Director

Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division, adding that no criminal is truly anonymous online.