FBI Seizes Virtualine Domain in Criminal Hosting Case

The FBI seized the domain virtualine.net on October 27, 2026, after a court authorized the action, targeting a hosting provider accused by the Justice Department of supporting criminal activity. The seizure removed the provider’s main website address, but it does not establish whether Virtualine’s wider operations have stopped. Prosecutors allege that Virtualine continued hosting an online forum identified in court records as Vendor 1 after receiving notices about child sexual abuse material. The department says the forum also enabled the sale of intimate images shared without consent and promoted services to break into victims’ online accounts. It further alleges that Virtualine helped the forum’s operators create a new site for uploading and selling content. According to the Justice Department, warnings beginning in January 2026 came from authorities in Germany, Canada and Australia, the U.S. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and a victims’ attorney. The department says Virtualine accepted direct Bitcoin payments and laundered some customer funds to conceal their origin. No arrests or criminal charges against Virtualine’s operators were announced with the...