Escrow Systems on Cybercriminal Forums: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

This report examines escrow/guarantor systems used on cybercriminal forums, highlighting a high-profile arbitration in which a reputed guarantor (AD0) allegedly withheld $170,000 from a Sodinokibi/REvil representative; the case exposed weaknesses in manual escrow arrangements, sparked forum bans and repayment negotiations, and prompted discussion of alternatives like automated escrow and multisig to reduce fraud and administrator risk.