David Schrooten
Dutch computer hacker
David Benjamin Schrooten is a Dutch computer hacker also known as Fortezza and Xakep. In 2012, he was arrested in Romania at the request of the United States Secret Service and extradited to Seattle, Washington. Here he was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison, primarily for his role in trafficking credit cards he obtained by hacking other hackers. By doing so, he caused approximately 63 million dollars in damages.
Background
David Benjamin Schrooten is a Dutch computer hacker widely known by the aliases Fortezza and Xakep. He gained notoriety within underground cybercrime communities primarily through his practice of targeting and hacking rival hacker groups, then trafficking the stolen credit card data he obtained through those intrusions.
Criminal Activity
Schrooten became particularly known for infiltrating rival cybercrime organizations. Among his notable targets was the Infraud Organization, a prominent criminal forum, where he installed himself as an administrator under the alias Xakep. His activities in credit card trafficking ultimately caused approximately 63 million dollars in damages.
He was also recognized as one of the founding members of the cybercrime forum Kurupt. Internal disputes among the founding members eventually caused the forum to split into two separate entities. The fallout led to hacking skirmishes between the two factions, which escalated until members began publicly exposing each other's real identities. After Schrooten's arrest, the remaining forum, operating as kurupt.ru, continued to function and was associated with high-profile hacking activities, including involvement in the Stophaus attack, an incident described as having disrupted a significant portion of internet infrastructure.
Arrest and Sentencing
In 2012, Schrooten was arrested in Romania following a request by the United States Secret Service. He was subsequently extradited to Seattle, Washington, where he faced federal charges. He was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison, with the conviction centered primarily on his role in trafficking credit cards acquired through hacking other hackers.
Return and Release
In 2014, Schrooten was transferred back to the Netherlands under a treaty arrangement. He was released in December of that same year, having served a significantly reduced portion of his original sentence following the treaty transfer.
Post-Release Work
Following his release, Schrooten authored a book titled Alias Fortezza, in which he chronicled his arrest and period of incarceration. The book represents his public account of the events surrounding his case and time in the US federal prison system.
