Kosovo hacker pleads guilty to creating BlackDB marketplace

Kosovo citizen Liridon Masuritsa pleaded guilty to administering the darknet marketplace BlackDB.cc, which had been operating since 2018 and was selling stolen accounts, card data, and personal information of victims around the world.

According to official documents, Masuritsa, known by the nickname @blackdb, ran the platform for almost seven years — until his arrest on December 14, 2024. In May 2025, he was extradited to the United States, where he remained in custody after the first court hearing in Tampa.

BlackDB.cc offered for sale:

• hacked accounts and server access;

• stolen credit cards;

• personal data of citizens, especially from the United States.

This information was purchased by fraudsters for credit scams, tax fraud, and identity theft. Masuritsa was charged with six counts, including conspiracy to commit fraud. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 55 years in prison.

The FBI, Kosovo’s cyber police and international units of the US Department of Justice conducted the investigation.

BlackDB was part of a global crackdown on cyber markets. In December 2024, law enforcement agencies shut down another platform, Rydox, arresting three Kosovars. German police shut down Crimenetwork and Manson market, and in France, the operators of BreachForums were detained. In Ukraine, the administrator of the XSS forum was arrested.

These events demonstrate an international trend: law enforcement agencies are increasingly cooperating to dismantle large cybercrime centers.

Masuritsa’s admission of guilt and the closure of BlackDB.cc are another step in the fight against the darknet economy. However, experts emphasize that despite the high-profile arrests, the market for criminal services is recovering quickly, and only systemic global cooperation can reduce the risks for users and companies.