Dutch police have announced that they have identified 126 individuals linked to the now dismantled Cracked.io cybercrime forum.
Cracked.io was an online platform used by cybercriminals to trade stolen data, access to compromised accounts, hacking tools, and fraud tutorials.
The forum, which is said to have helped hackers and fraudsters target at least 17 million US computer users, was seized by international law enforcement agencies in January 2025 as part of “Operation Talent,” which dismantled the site’s infrastructure and seized its domain.
A subsequent investigation by Dutch police, using data seized from Cracked.io’s servers, has identified 126 Dutch users of the site – some of whom had previous convictions or were already the subject of ongoing investigations.
What makes the announcement particularly notable is the profile of those identified by investigators. According to the Dutch police, the majority of the individuals identified are young – many are teenagers or in their early twenties.
The youngest person identified by investigators is just 11 years old.
Some of those identified by the authorities simply browsed the site, or posted messages in the forum. Others, however, were actively involved in the sale and distribution of stolen data.
According to Dutch police, most of those identified have now received a formal warning via email or post about their use of the site. In addition, police say they have summoned 20 individuals to a police station for a face-to-face conversation, intended to steer them away from future cybercriminal activity.
Dutch police have wisely attempted to try to make the young people realise the consequences of their actions – recognising that many of them may not see themselves as criminals.
According to the police’s press release, involvement in a cybercrime forum can have long-term consequences. A criminal record could impact education, limit career opportunities, or make it very difficult to get a mortgage.
Recognising the scale of the problem amongst young people, Dutch officials say that they are offering resources and guidance to parents and teachers to help at-risk youths understand the real-world consequences of participating in cybercriminal communities.
In general, you would be wise to steer well clear of hacking forums – even out of mild curiosity. Their usage can result in you finding yourself in hot water with law enforcement investigators in the years to come.
Meanwhile, what of cracked.io? Well, the site itself remains under the control of law enforcement – which has published a large “seized” graphic on its main page.
However, the site resurrected itself in April at a new URL. The question is, can users of the new Cracked site trust that it won’t one day also be seized by the authorities, and – like its predecessor – spill critical information which might identify its users identities?
