The long arm of the law may have gotten too close for comfort.

Joker’s Stash, one of the oldest dark web marketplaces, operated its shop for stolen card data with impunity since 2014. After a highly profitable run, during which the site allegedly chalked up a profit of over $1 billion in bitcoin, the site has decided to call its quits. It announced Friday that on February 15, 2021, “we will wipe all our servers and backups and Joker will fade to dark, forever.” (Bleeping Computer)

Joker’s Stash: “It’s time for us to leave forever”

The site owner, who posted the message on various cybercriminal forums, did not give a reason for the shutdown.

That can only be surmised, and maybe one or more, or all, of the following:

• Around October, the admin said they caught COVID and had to spend a week in the hospital
• In December, officials from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and Interpol seized a number of servers used by Joker’s Stash and posted seizure notices on four of its sites
• With the law getting uncomfortably close, the Stash might have decided to shut shop while the going was good
• Due to increased competition, the volume and quality of the data of stolen cards was declining
• The admin may have decided to cash in their huge profit, estimated at over $1 billion and stashed in the form of bitcoin after the crypto rallied sharply and doubled in a matter of weeks (“Joker goes on a well-deserved retirement,” the closure notice said)

“Partners” will get their money back

Joker’s Stash admin in closure notice: “We will leave the Stash opened for 30 more days, until 2021-02-15, so all Stash users can spend accounts balances.”

“Dear partners of Stash – you can be sure, that before we leave forever, you will get all payouts, contact me you know how.”

The notice also had a warning for would-be copycats.

“And mark my word: WE WILL NEVER EVER OPEN AGAIN! Do NOT trust possible future imposters.”

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