Dutch police have introduced that they’ve recognized 126 people linked to the now dismantled Cracked.io cybercrime discussion board.
Cracked.io was an internet platform utilized by cybercriminals to commerce stolen knowledge, entry to compromised accounts, hacking instruments, and fraud tutorials.
The discussion board, which is claimed to have helped hackers and fraudsters goal at the least 17 million US laptop customers, was seized by worldwide regulation enforcement companies in January 2025 as a part of “Operation Expertise,” which dismantled the location’s infrastructure and seized its area.
A subsequent investigation by Dutch police, utilizing knowledge seized from Cracked.io’s servers, has recognized 126 Dutch customers of the location – a few of whom had earlier convictions or had been already the topic of ongoing investigations.
What makes the announcement notably notable is the profile of these recognized by investigators. In accordance with the Dutch police, nearly all of the people recognized are younger – many are youngsters or of their early twenties.
The youngest particular person recognized by investigators is simply 11 years previous.
A few of these recognized by the authorities merely browsed the location, or posted messages within the discussion board. Others, nonetheless, had been actively concerned within the sale and distribution of stolen knowledge.
In accordance with Dutch police, most of these recognized have now acquired a proper warning through electronic mail or publish about their use of the location. As well as, police say they’ve summoned 20 people to a police station for a face-to-face dialog, meant to steer them away from future cybercriminal exercise.
Dutch police have correctly tried to attempt to make the younger folks realise the results of their actions – recognising that lots of them might not see themselves as criminals.
In accordance with the police’s press launch, involvement in a cybercrime discussion board can have long-term penalties. A legal document may affect schooling, restrict profession alternatives, or make it very tough to get a mortgage.
Recognising the dimensions of the issue amongst younger folks, Dutch officers say that they’re providing assets and steering to folks and academics to assist at-risk youths perceive the real-world penalties of taking part in cybercriminal communities.
Typically, you’d be clever to steer effectively away from hacking boards – even out of gentle curiosity. Their utilization can lead to you discovering your self in scorching water with regulation enforcement investigators within the years to return.
In the meantime, what of cracked.io? Nicely, the location itself stays beneath the management of regulation enforcement – which has printed a big “seized” graphic on its primary web page.
Nevertheless, the location resurrected itself in April at a brand new URL. The query is, can customers of the brand new Cracked web site belief that it will not sooner or later even be seized by the authorities, and – like its predecessor – spill vital data which could establish its customers identities?
