However, it was not just the data traded on the forum but also the actions of its founder that escalated the situation. Before founding the forum, Fitzpatrick was linked to other high-profile hacks, including a breach of the FBI's own law enforcement enterprise portal, which he used to send out fake cyberthreat warnings from a legitimate FBI email address.

BreachForums emerged as a critical node in the underground cybercrime economy, serving as a primary marketplace for stolen data until its disruption by international law enforcement. Often viewed as the spiritual successor to the notorious RaidForums

BreachForums offered a range of features that contributed to its success:

In March 2022, then-19-year-old Conor Brian Fitzpatrick, operating under the online alias "pompompurin," launched a direct successor platform: BreachForums . Designed to replicate and improve upon the features of RaidForums, the new platform provided a space for hackers to discuss techniques, share malware, and, most importantly, advertise and sell databases stolen from companies and government agencies. For a burgeoning cybercriminal marketplace, the timing was perfect. Within its first year, BreachForums claimed over 330,000 members and hosted thousands of breach databases containing more than 14 billion individual records of personally identifying information (PII).

Law enforcement agencies and cybersecurity firms also expressed concerns about BreachForums, as the platform often hosted data obtained through high-profile breaches. This led to increased scrutiny and pressure on the site's administrators to shut down or limit operations.