Global Police Sting Takes Down LeakBase: 142,000 Users Exposed

TL;DR: LeakBase, one of the largest English-language forums for trading stolen data, got seized on March 3-4, 2026 by FBI and Europol in a 14-country operation. The forum had 142,000 members trading hundreds of millions of stolen credentials: usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, banking info. Police grabbed the entire database including IP logs and private messages. That means 37 of the most active users just got doxxed by law enforcement. If your data was ever traded there, criminals had it. But now so do the cops.

What Happened on March 3-4

On March 3, 2026, law enforcement across 14 countries moved simultaneously against LeakBase. Europol coordinated from The Hague while FBI Salt Lake City led the US operation.^[1]

By March 4, the domain showed a seizure banner. Anyone trying to buy stolen credentials got a message from police instead.

The operation hit hard:

13 arrests
32 property searches
33 suspects interviewed
37 "most active users" specifically targeted
Two domains seized

Participating countries: United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Greece, Kosovo, Malaysia, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

What LeakBase Actually Sold

LeakBase wasn't some dark web mystery. It operated on the open internet in English since 2021. The forum functioned as a one-stop shop for stolen data:^[2]

Database dumps: Hundreds of millions of credentials from breached companies
Stealer logs: Fresh credentials harvested by infostealer malware, the good stuff for account takeovers
Financial data: Credit and debit card numbers, banking account info, routing numbers
Combo lists: Username/password pairs ready for credential stuffing attacks

The forum ran on credits. Users built reputation by sharing stolen data. Better reputation meant access to better data. Standard dark economy playbook.

One notable rule: no Russian databases. LeakBase explicitly banned selling data related to Russia, almost certainly to avoid scrutiny from Russian authorities who tend to ignore cybercrime targeting the West.^[3]

The Numbers Tell the Story

By December 2025, LeakBase had grown into a major operation:^[4]

142,000+ registered users
32,000 public posts
215,000+ private messages

Those private messages are the real prize for law enforcement. Criminals negotiating deals, sharing techniques, discussing targets, all preserved in police databases now.

The Man Behind the Forum

LeakBase was operated by someone using the handles "Chucky," "Chuckies," and "Sqlrip." Threat intelligence firm KELA linked this individual to a 33-year-old Russian national with a track record of sharing massive database collections.^[5]

Unlike typical criminal marketplace operators who obsess over anonymity, Chucky had a reputation for aggressive data sharing, posting databases from major global entities to build credibility.

Other key players included moderators "BloodyMery," "OrderCheck," and "TSR." Whether any of these individuals were among the 13 arrested hasn't been confirmed.

What Police Now Have

Here's what makes this seizure different from a simple domain takedown. Law enforcement didn't just shut down the site. They captured the entire database:^[6]

All 142,000 user accounts
Every post and private message
Credit purchase records
IP address logs
Login timestamps

Anyone who used LeakBase without proper operational security just got their identity handed to law enforcement on a platter. Even users who thought they were anonymous left traces.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva put it plainly: "The takedown of this cyber forum disrupts a major international platform that cybercriminals use to obtain and profit from theft."^[7]

FBI Assistant Director Brett Leatherman added: "No criminal is truly anonymous online."

Where the Criminals Go Next

LeakBase wasn't the biggest forum. Threat intelligence analysts classify it as "mid-tier." The top-tier forums like XSS and Exploit are Russian-speaking and operate under implicit Russian state protection.^[8]

KELA's assessment of where displaced users will migrate:

Premium forums: Those with skills and reputation will climb to XSS or Exploit
Telegram channels: Decentralized, invite-only groups are harder to track and seize
New spinoff forums: Someone always tries to fill the vacuum

The infostealer log trade is particularly likely to shift toward Telegram, where sellers can operate in fragmented groups that are harder to disrupt with a single coordinated action.

If Your Data Was Traded There

Hundreds of millions of credentials passed through LeakBase. Odds are good some of them were yours. The practical reality:

Check Have I Been Pwned

haveibeenpwned.com tracks major breaches. If your email shows up, assume those credentials are circulating.

Change Reused Passwords

Credential stuffing works because people reuse passwords. If you used the same password on a breached site and your bank, fix that now.

Enable 2FA Everywhere

Stolen passwords are useless if attackers can't pass the second factor. Use authenticator apps, not SMS.

Monitor Financial Accounts

Banking info was traded on LeakBase. Watch your statements. Enable alerts for transactions.

Freeze Your Credit

If banking data was exposed, freeze your credit at all three bureaus. It's free and blocks new account fraud.

Use a Password Manager

Generate unique passwords for every site. When one gets breached, only that account is compromised.

The Bigger Picture

LeakBase is gone. The stolen data isn't.

Every credential that passed through that forum was probably copied, reshared, and archived by multiple buyers. The takedown stops new trades but doesn't un-steal the data.

What this operation actually accomplished:

Deterrence: 37 top users are now on law enforcement's list. Some got arrested. Others got "knock-and-talk" visits from police.
Intelligence: Police now have the entire communication history of a major cybercrime forum. That's a goldmine for tracking networks.
Disruption: Mid-tier criminals lose their easy marketplace. Rebuilding trust takes time.

But the underground economy adapts. Telegram channels are already absorbing the diaspora. New forums will emerge. The stolen data keeps moving.

For the 142,000 users who thought they were anonymous criminals? They just learned that every IP log, every private message, every purchase record is now in police hands. Some of them are about to have very uncomfortable conversations with law enforcement.

References

Published: March 8, 2026