The official website of BrickLink, a popular LEGO marketplace and fan community, is currently down due to a suspected hacking incident. The company has taken down the website as a precautionary measure and is investigating the issue. The website has been in maintenance mode for over five hours, which is unusual compared to previous maintenance periods that typically last only a few minutes.
Users who attempted to access the site saw a message stating that BrickLink is investigating some unusual activity and that further speculation is premature. The company has not released an official statement about the incident or confirmed whether it has become a target of a cyberattack. However, it posted an update on November 4, stating that it continues to investigate the unusual activity and will be back up and running as soon as possible.
Reports have emerged of BrickLink users receiving ransom messages allegedly from the hackers. One user posted on Reddit, asking for information after seeing ransom messages on the forum and being unable to access the site. Another user claimed that BrickLink had gone into “preventive shutdown” and that the hackers demanded a payment of €50,000 in Bitcoin to prevent the deletion of inventories from big stores. These reports indicate that the attackers are targeting Sellers and Stores accounts and demanding payments in cryptocurrency to spare the deletion of items and store inventories.
BrickLink was founded by Dan Jezek in 2000 and has grown to become the leading LEGO marketplace with over a million members and 10,000+ seller stores in 70 countries. The platform also hosts the BrickLink Designer Program, which allows fans to create personalized LEGO sets that can become physical builds if they attract 10,000 votes. In 2019, BrickLink became a wholly owned subsidiary of LEGO but continues to operate as a standalone platform where fans can purchase specific LEGO pieces, access model instructions, and find hard-to-find sets.
Since BrickLink has not released an official statement about the incident, it remains unclear what exactly happened and what data may have been compromised. The company is currently conducting an investigation but has not provided a timeline for when the website will be back online. In the meantime, BrickLink users are advised to exercise caution and avoid clicking on links or attachments in emails or messages from unknown senders.
In light of this incident, it is essential for online marketplaces and platforms to prioritize their cybersecurity measures and protect user data. The recent surge in cyberattacks targeting various industries emphasizes the need for robust security systems and proactive measures to defend against cyber threats. Users should also remain vigilant and take precautions to safeguard their personal information while using online platforms.
In related news, there have been reports of other marketplace platforms suffering security breaches. Disney+ accounts have been sold on dark web marketplaces, and fashion marketplace giant 21 Buttons exposed millions of users’ data. Brazilian marketplace integrator Hariexpress has also experienced a security incident involving the exposure of billions of records. These incidents serve as reminders of the constant threats posed by cybercriminals and the importance of implementing strong security measures to protect user data.