Russia arrests alleged owner of cybercrime forum LeakBase, report says | TechCrunch

Summary

Russian authorities arrested the alleged owner of LeakBase, a large hacking forum used for sharing stolen data and cybercriminal tools, according to state media. The arrest follows an international law enforcement operation involving 14 countries that shut down the forum's official site in early March, seizing its database of over 142,000 members and 215,000 messages. The forum, launched in 2021, hosted hundreds of millions of stolen usernames, passwords, banking information, and credit card numbers; the operation resulted in 13 total arrests across multiple countries.

Full text

In Brief Posted: 9:36 AM PDT · March 25, 2026 Image Credits:Contributor / Getty Images Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai Russia arrests alleged owner of cybercrime forum LeakBase, report says On Wednesday, Russian police arrested the alleged administrator of the cybercrime forum LeakBase, according to the state-owned news agency TASS. LeakBase was, as the U.S. Department of Justice put it, “one of the world’s largest online forums for cybercriminals” for sharing hacking tools and passwords. Earlier this month, U.S. authorities and Europol announced that they had shut down LeakBase’s official site, and seized its database of more than 142,000 members and 215,000 messages. According to TASS, the alleged administrator, whose name was not released, and creator of LeakBase was a resident of Taganrog, a coastal city in southern Russia. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “We don’t cooperate with Russian authorities and were not involved in the reported arrest,” Europol spokesperson Claire Georges told TechCrunch. LeakBase was launched in 2021 and hosted an archive of hacked databases that included hundreds of millions of usernames and passwords, banking account and routing information, and credit card numbers. According to the Justice Department, the international operation against LeakBase involved law enforcement agents in 14 countries, and resulted in the execution of search warrants, arrests, and interviews in Australia, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Techcrunch event Disrupt 2026: The tech ecosystem, all in one room Your next round. Your next hire. Your next breakout opportunity. Find it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gather for three days of 250+ tactical sessions, powerful introductions, and market-defining innovation. Register now to save up to $400. Save up to $300 or 30% to TechCrunch Founder Summit 1,000+ founders and investors come together at TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 for a full day focused on growth, execution, and real-world scaling. Learn from founders and investors who have shaped the industry. Connect with peers navigating similar growth stages. Walk away with tactics you can apply immediatelyOffer ends March 13. San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026 REGISTER NOW In total, there were 13 arrests, according to The Record. Topics cybercrime, department of justice, Europol, hackers, hacking, leakbase, russia, Security June 9 Boston, MA Actively scaling? Fundraising? Planning your next launch?TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 delivers tactical playbooks and direct access to 1,000+ founders and investors who are building, backing, and closing. REGISTER NOW Newsletters See More Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news Related Security Someone has publicly leaked an exploit kit that can hack millions of iPhones Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai Zack Whittaker 2 days ago Security Russians caught stealing personal data from Ukrainians with new advanced iPhone hacking tools Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai Mar 18, 2026 Security Law enforcement shuts down botnet made of tens of thousands of hacked routers Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai Mar 12, 2026 Latest in Security In Brief Russia arrests alleged owner of cybercrime forum LeakBase, report says Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai 1 hour ago Security Crunchyroll confirms data breach after hacker claims unauthorized access Jagmeet Singh 1 day ago Security FCC bans import of new consumer routers made overseas, citing security risks Zack Whittaker 1 day ago

Indicators of Compromise

• malware — LeakBase