Europol on Monday announced the arrest of the suspected administrator of XSS.is (formerly DaMaGeLaB), a notorious Russian-speaking cybercrime platform.
The arrest, which took place in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 22, 2025, was led by the French Police and Paris Prosecutor, in collaboration with Ukrainian authorities and Europol. The action is the result of an investigation that was launched by the French Police in July 2021.
Coupled with the arrest, law enforcement has also taken control of the clearnet domain of XSS.is, greeting visitors with a seizure notice, “This domain has been seized by la Brigade de Lutte Contre la Cybercriminalité with assistance of the SBU Cyber Department.”
“The forum, which had more than 50,000 registered users, served as a key marketplace for stolen data, hacking tools and illicit services,” the law enforcement agency said. “It has long been a central platform for some of the most active and dangerous cybercriminal networks, used to coordinate, advertise and recruit.”
The forum’s administrator, besides engaging in the technical operations of the service, is said to have enabled criminal activity by acting as a trusted third-party to arbitrate disputes between criminals and guarantee the security of transactions.
Europol Arrests XSS Forum Admin in Kyiv After 12-Year Run Operating Cybercrime Marketplace
