"RAMP, which stands for Russian Anonymous Marketplace, was an online souk, favored by ransomware-as-a-service gangs, extortionists, initial access brokers, and other miscreants specializing in digital crime. Its websites now say "This Site Has Been Seized," with the notice attributing the takedown to the FBI in coordination with the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Department of Justice. The feds also trolled the forum's operators with a banner saying "The Only Place Ransomware Allowed!" and an image of Masha - a preschool character from the Russian animated TV series - winking."
"The takedown also appears to be confirmed by one of the forum's alleged operators who goes by "Stallman." In an XSS hacking forum post shared widely on social media, Stallman said law enforcement had gained control of RAMP. "This event destroyed years of my work to create the most free forum in the world, and although I hoped this day would never come, deep down I always understood that it was possible," he wrote. "This is the risk we all take." Stallman said he could not create a new forum, but will "continue to buy accesses. My core business remains unchanged.""
US law enforcement seized RAMP's dark web and clearnet domains and replaced them with a seizure notice crediting the FBI, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida, and the DOJ Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. RAMP operated as a marketplace for ransomware-as-a-service gangs, extortionists, initial access brokers, and other cybercriminals to buy malware, exploits, and recruit affiliates. DNS records and a seizure banner confirm federal control, and an alleged operator, "Stallman," acknowledged the loss while saying he will continue buying access. Users are likely to scatter to other underground marketplaces rather than cease operations entirely.
Read at Theregister
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