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Law enforcement officials in the UK have shut down an underground website that specialized in helping cybercriminals commit their crimes.  The site, called DarkMarket, was kept secret and access was granted by invitation only.  Its forum allowed cyberthieves to buy and sell stolen banking details and credit card numbers obtained via phishing scams and website hacks.  It also served as a learning tool, providing information on how to commit various online crimes.

The bust is the result of an undercover operation by the FBI. 60 arrests have been made (11 of them in the UK) as a result.  Authorities said the site had over 2,000 members.  These criminals made huge profits from the stolen credit and banking info.  Authorities said one man could have made over 10 million pounds (roughly $17 million US) with the info he bought.

“The people involved in this kind of activity have a certain arrogance—they think they are untouchable,” said Sharon Lemon, SOCA(the UK’s Serious Organized Crime Agency)‘s Deputy Director of E-Crime. “The message today is that no one should feel confident that these forums are a secure place to operate.”

It’s very likely that after a period of lying low, the site will rise again in another form.  However thanks to operations like this one, the criminals that use it will be constantly looking over their shoulders, knowing that it may only be a matter of time before the authorities come knocking again.

Read[Reuters]