Major Hacker Charged, Forum Operation Disrupted - US Justice Dept.

New York resident Conor Brian Fitzpatrick, the creator and operator of a hacking forum and a marketplace that profited from stolen personal information, has been charged with conspiracy to commit access device fraud, the US Department of Justice said on Friday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th March, 2023) New York resident Conor Brian Fitzpatrick, the creator and operator of a hacking forum and a marketplace that profited from stolen personal information, has been charged with conspiracy to commit access device fraud, the US Department of Justice said on Friday.

"The founder of BreachForums made his initial appearance today in the Eastern District of Virginia on a criminal charge related to his alleged creation and administration of a major hacking forum and marketplace for cybercriminals that claimed to have more than 340,000 members as of last week," the Justice Department said in a press release.

In parallel with Fitzpatrick's arrest, the FBI conducted a disruption operation that caused BreachForums to go offline, the release said.

Since March 2022, Fitzpatrick operated BreachForums as a marketplace for cybercriminals to buy, sell and trade hacked or stolen data and other contraband, including bank account information, social security numbers and other personal identifying information, the release said.

Fitzpatrick's alleged victims have included millions of US citizens and hundreds of US and foreign companies, organizations and government agencies, the release said.

"Some of the stolen datasets contained the sensitive information of customers at telecommunication, social media, investment, health care services, and internet service providers," the release added.

If convicted, Fitzpatrick faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, according to the release.