BreachForums was one of the largest darknet data breach-focused forums until a recent decision from its head admin, “Baphomet,” who has chosen to shut shop. His decision came soon after news broke out that co-admin “Pompompurin” was arrested in New York last week.
“You are allowed to hate me, and disagree with my decision but I promise what is to come will be better for us all”
Baphomet
Darknet Forum Admin Arrested
US citizen Conor Brian FitzPatrick received a warrant for arrest last week in Peekskill, New York, for running a darknet market and forum that helped buy, sell, and trade stolen data. That forum is the infamous “BreachForums.
Soon after his arrest, FitzPatrick complied with the FBI admitting to running the website. According to the arrest report
When I arrested the defendant on March 15, 2023. He stated to me in substance and in part that:
a) his name was Conor Brian Fitzpatrick;
b) he used the alias “pompompurin/.”
c) he was the owner and administrator of “BreachForums/” the data breach website referenced in the Complaint. The defendant made these statements after being advised of his rights under Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966).
FBI Arrest Report
Included with FitzPatricks arrest, he was charged with atleast one count of “conspiracy to solicit individuals with the purpose of selling unauthorized access devices,” with many more to come.
Fitzpatrick had created a name for himself in the Darknet world, not only as a Darknet Website admin but also as a notorious hacker. In 2021, Pompompurin admitted to “conducting cyber attacks and sending fake emails using the fbi.gov domain.” In an interview with Brian Krebs, Fitzpatrick claimed this was only to point out vulnerabilities in the FBI systems and that he was the good guy. But it surely put the hacker higher on the FBI criminal list.
The arrest, of course, shocked the darknet world, and users on the forum quickly voiced their opinions on the matter. Many users requested they shut down the servers, while others felt it wasn’t necessary as users should be anonymous. Many users frantically searched for ways to delete their accounts with all the Data.
The news resonated with the forum users as the FBI took down BreachForums predecessor “RaidForums” in an almost identical way. Soon after the arrest, co-admin “Baphomet” made his opinions clear that he may need to take drastic measures following the news.
What Was BreachForums? (Breached.vc)
BreachForums was a dark web forum where cybercriminals bought, sold, and traded stolen data, such as login credentials, credit card information, and other sensitive personal information. The forum provided a platform for cybercriminals to exchange tips, tools, and techniques for hacking and exploiting vulnerabilities in computer systems and networks.
BreachForums was notorious for its role in facilitating cybercrime and had been linked to numerous data breaches and cyber-attacks.
Darknet Admin Baphomet Responds
Soon after the arrest, co-admin “Baphomet” made his opinions clear that he may need to take drastic measures following the news. However, his first thoughts were not to take the website down completely.
“A small update here. You’ll see some downtime for a couple of services but this is expected. Currently, the only one that should be noticeable is the shoutbox, as I’m updating it to fix some bugs that probably should have been fixed a while ago.”
Forum Update from Baphomet – March 18th
This didn’t last long as two days later he posted another update.
“Basically, to everyone, the site has now down. This is expected, don’t freak out. Should be back up in a few hours and will provide another update once its back up. Appreciate your patience on all this.”
Forum Update from Baphomet – March 20th
But his final decision came after some backlash from the community. Multiple users from the darknet community expressed their concerns regarding whether Pompompurin, the operator of BreachForums, would disclose any sensitive information or cooperate with law enforcement agencies. There was concern that the registration details of the users might be discovered by the FBI, leading to potential legal repercussions.
On March 21st, Baphomet gave his final update for the Breached.cz forum.
“I will be taking down the forum, as I believe we can assume that nothing is safe anymore. I know that everyone wants the forum up, but there is no value in short-term gain for what will likely be a long-term loss by propping up Breached as it is.
I want to make it clear. While this initial announcement is not positive, it’s not the end. I’m going to setup another Telegram group for those who want to see what follows. You are allowed to hate me and disagree with my decision, but I promise what is to come will be better for us all… I am going nowhere.”
Forum Update from Baphomet – March 21st
Soon after his message went live, the forum returned with a “502 Bad Gateway” message indicating an invalid response from the servers. This marked the end of BreachForums.
While this is the end of one popular darknet forum, Baphomet made it clear that he had plans to start a new forum instead. After all, the community has not disappeared, and there is still an appetite for breached databases. For now, you could just use the popular Dread Forum.
Hey there, I’m a dark web geek who’s been around for the last 8 years. More precisely, I’m livedarknet’s senior content writer who’s been writing about darknet marketplaces, tutorials, and cybersecurity stuff for educational purposes.