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The carding community is at a loss, some even thinking about leaving the criminal business.
Cybercriminals are puzzled by the sudden disappearance of several key underground marketplaces, and some are even considering ending their illegal activities.
Security researchers at Digital Shadows analyzed activity on carding forums that sell stolen credit card data and other personal information and found that after a series of underground market shutdowns, many customers were downright annoyed.
In January 2022, a notice appeared on one of the key carding forums that the site had been disabled by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation as part of a “law enforcement special operation.” Together with US federal agencies, the FSB of the Russian Federation identified the alleged members of the hacker group The Infraud Organization, including forum administrators.
A few days later, six additional arrests were reported on charges of trading in stolen credit card data, and the aforementioned notice appeared on several more forums.
Other venues appear to have closed on their own initiative, possibly temporarily to avoid shutdowns and arrests.
“Due to recent events, we are going on vacation for two weeks. Thank you for your understanding! We'll be back soon, so don't worry!" read a message on one of the forums.
However, the site never resumed work, and its customers lost the opportunity to return their money.
Another popular carding market, which has been operating for almost a decade, has also closed. According to its operators, they "retired" after making enough money.
All of these shutdowns and disappearances have greatly stirred up the carding community. One of the cybercriminals even described the situation as "the scariest moment in the history of carding" and "a nightmare for people in this business."
However, some users are confident that some sites will resume work in the coming weeks. But there are those who predict the transition of carders to other platforms, in particular, to Telegram.
The forum shutdowns have fueled discussions about operational security, with some forum members fearing possible arrests.
“It's been a tough time for us. Take care of yourself and remember about safety,” said one user.
Some joke that now they will have to go to work in a factory, while others say that while now is the best time to “retire”, carding will be fine for those who are not afraid of hard work.
__________________
Cybercriminals are puzzled by the sudden disappearance of several key underground marketplaces, and some are even considering ending their illegal activities.
Security researchers at Digital Shadows analyzed activity on carding forums that sell stolen credit card data and other personal information and found that after a series of underground market shutdowns, many customers were downright annoyed.
In January 2022, a notice appeared on one of the key carding forums that the site had been disabled by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation as part of a “law enforcement special operation.” Together with US federal agencies, the FSB of the Russian Federation identified the alleged members of the hacker group The Infraud Organization, including forum administrators.
A few days later, six additional arrests were reported on charges of trading in stolen credit card data, and the aforementioned notice appeared on several more forums.
Other venues appear to have closed on their own initiative, possibly temporarily to avoid shutdowns and arrests.
“Due to recent events, we are going on vacation for two weeks. Thank you for your understanding! We'll be back soon, so don't worry!" read a message on one of the forums.
However, the site never resumed work, and its customers lost the opportunity to return their money.
Another popular carding market, which has been operating for almost a decade, has also closed. According to its operators, they "retired" after making enough money.
All of these shutdowns and disappearances have greatly stirred up the carding community. One of the cybercriminals even described the situation as "the scariest moment in the history of carding" and "a nightmare for people in this business."
However, some users are confident that some sites will resume work in the coming weeks. But there are those who predict the transition of carders to other platforms, in particular, to Telegram.
The forum shutdowns have fueled discussions about operational security, with some forum members fearing possible arrests.
“It's been a tough time for us. Take care of yourself and remember about safety,” said one user.
Some joke that now they will have to go to work in a factory, while others say that while now is the best time to “retire”, carding will be fine for those who are not afraid of hard work.
__________________