Cybercrime , Fraud Management & Cybercrime
Police: Fitzpatrick Waived Right to Silence, Confessed to Starting & Running Forum David Perera (@daveperera) • March 24, 2023 Image: Shutterstock
The alleged administrator of criminal online forum BreachForums may have thought he took steps to hide his real identity, but instead he left a trail of digital breadcrumbs that led to his arrest and prosecution, shows information unsealed in federal court.
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Federal agents questioned Conor Brian Fitzpatrick, 20, raiding his parent’s Peekskill, New York house in the early hours of March 15 after concluding that he was “Pompompurin,” owner of BreachForums. Police say Fitzpatrick waived his right to silence and confessed to launching and maintaining the forum used by cybercriminals to sell stolen data. Fitzpatrick told law enforcement he earned approximately $1,000 a day from BreachForums, mainly through members who paid for credits to access hacked data and for membership upgrades on the now-offline site (see: BreachForums Closes Amid Worries Over Law Enforcement Access).
“BreachForums bridged the gap between hackers hawking pilfered data and buyers eager to exploit it. All those operating in darknet markets should take note: Working with our law enforcement partners, we will take down illicit forums and bring administrators to justice in U.S. courtrooms,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco in a statement Friday following Fitzpatrick’s first appearance in a federal court.
An FBI affidavit unsealed in federal
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