In a major international operation, U.S. authorities and their global partners dismantled the cybercrime marketplaces Cracked and Nulled, disrupting two massive hubs for stolen data, hacking tools, and illicit transactions. The crackdown, executed with Europol’s backing, involved coordinated takedowns across multiple jurisdictions. Key seizures included servers, domain names, and the arrest of an alleged Nulled administrator, Lucas Sohn, in Spain.
KEY POINTS:
- Cracked: Active since 2018, facilitated cybercrime with over 4M users, 28M+ posts, and $4M in revenue.
- Nulled: Operating since 2016, hosted 5M+ users, 43M+ illicit listings, and sold stolen credentials & IDs.
- FBI & Global Partners: Seized infrastructure, including payment processing and bulletproof hosting services.
- Arrest: Lucas Sohn (Argentina/Spain), a Nulled administrator, faces U.S. charges carrying up to 30 years in prison.
- Impact: At least 17M victims targeted through Cracked, while Nulled sold SSNs of 500K U.S. citizens.
SHORT NARRATIVE:
The takedown of Cracked and Nulled marks a significant blow against cybercrime. These marketplaces were thriving platforms for selling stolen credentials, malware, and fraud-enabling services. Authorities took down their entire digital infrastructure, including servers and domain names, rendering the platforms inoperable. The bust also exposed how criminals leveraged these sites for real-world crimes, including sextortion and identity theft. One particularly egregious case involved a hacker using Cracked’s data breach tools to harass and cyberstalk a victim in New York.
Meanwhile, the FBI secured the arrest of Lucas Sohn, an alleged key figure behind Nulled, responsible for facilitating illicit transactions. Sohn now faces charges in the U.S. for trafficking stolen credentials and fraud-enabling services. His potential sentence? Up to 30 years behind bars.
ACTIONABLE INSIGHT:
The crackdown underscores the relentless efforts by law enforcement to dismantle cybercrime networks. However, the demand for stolen credentials and hacking tools isn’t going away. As one marketplace falls, others emerge—often with stronger security measures. Cybercriminals will adapt, but so will global enforcement agencies.
For businesses and individuals, this is a wake-up call: Your data is a commodity on the dark web. Strengthen cybersecurity defenses, enable multi-factor authentication, and remain vigilant against breaches.
CALL FOR INFORMATION:
Know more about cybercrime marketplaces, their operators, or how cybercriminals evade law enforcement? Reach out to FinTelegram. Anonymity guaranteed.
