US and French authorities have confirmed the arrests of five hackers accused of being behind several major hacks and be part of a well -known cybercrime forum.
ThursdayAd the US Department of Justice announced the Charge by British National Kai West, 25 -year -old, accusing him of being a “serial hacker” known as Intelbroker. US authorities claim that the West is behind a “multi-year hacking scheme”, which has caused more than $ 25 million in damage targeting more than 40 victims, including a telecommunications company, an urban physician, and an online service provider.
In the doctor’s case, the DOJ claims that the West tried to sell the personal information of a sensitive patient, including names, social security numbers, birth dates, sex, health -plan and employment information.
By the Doj, West was the head of a hacking group known as “Cybern[——]”, Referring to a racist Slur, who visited a” separate online forum. “While the DOJ did not call the forum, the complaint includes details that refer Breachforumswhich was previously closed by a coalition of international police agencies in 2023 and 2024.
Doj’s press release said the West was arrested in France earlier in February and is now facing extradition to the United States.
According to the Complaint Against the West, the Cybern[——] A group included four other individuals that US authorities did not name.
These four individuals appear to be arrested in France earlier this week.
Wednesday Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said in a statement that French police arrested four people suspected of running breakdowns and from being part of a group called “Shinyhunters.”
“This week’s arrests aimed at the individuals suspected of being the main administrators of the site and raised hopes for its permanent closure,” said Beccuau, according to a translation of the press release.
The prosecutor also confirmed the West, named only in the statement as an Intelbroker, was arrested in France in February, which conforms to what US authorities announced on Thursday.
When a comment was reached, a spokesman for the French prosecutor reported Techcrunch to its published statement.
In response to a question of the four unnamed co-conspirators, a spokesman for the US Department of Justice Nicholas Biase said he could not comment on “unloaded individuals”, and refused to explain in a next email.
Breachforums was one of the best known hacking forums on the Internet, where cybercriminals sold hack tool like 23andmeand many others.
In 2023, US federal authorities captured and closed break forumsthree months after arresting its manager, Conor Brian FitzpatrickAlso known as “Pompompurin.” The site then relaunched, but it was captured and closed again in 2024.
The West is accused of conspiracy for making computer intrusions, a conspiracy to commit wire fraud, access a protected computer to get information and wire fraud.
