Suspected ShinyHunters Leader Reportedly Arrested in Jordan and Cooperating With FBI
Summary
A teenager believed to lead ShinyHunters was reportedly arrested in Jordan and is helping the FBI identify group members. The report follows a Dutch arrest tied to the investigation and a hack of the FBI jobs site.
Key points
- Saif al-Din Khader, known as Rey, was reportedly arrested in Jordan and is said to be cooperating with the FBI; his place of detention is unclear.
- Khader is also described as a member of Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters.
- The arrest came shortly after ShinyHunters hacked and defaced FBIJobs[.]gov, claiming to have stolen 2–3 terabytes of data.
- The group claimed it held current and former FBI employees’ personal and health information and sent media a sample list of 5,000 employees.
- A 24-year-old man arrested in Amsterdam was confirmed by Dutch police and the FBI as part of the investigation; the FBI said he was involved in hacking more than 140 organizations and collecting at least $70 million in extortion payments.
- The FBI said it was pursuing additional leads, and FBI Director Kash Patel said more arrests were possible.
Article Details
- Event Type
- Reported arrest in Jordan of Saif al-Din Khader, described as an alleged ShinyHunters leader, who is reportedly cooperating with the FBI; the article also reports a separate arrest in the Netherlands connected to the investigation.
- Impact
- The arrests relate to an investigation into ShinyHunters' cybercrime and extortion activity. The group reportedly hacked and defaced the FBI's jobs site and claimed to have stolen 2–3 terabytes of data and obtained personal and health information for current and former FBI employees. The FBI said the Dutch suspect was involved in hacking more than 140 organizations and collecting at least $70 million in extortion payments.
People
Brian KrebsInvestigative journalist cited in the report about Khader attributing the FBI site hack to van der Stap.Kash PatelFBI Director who said additional arrests were possible.Pepijn van der StapIndependent reports suggested he was the Dutch suspect arrested in connection with the FBI investigation; the Dutch police and FBI did not disclose the suspect's identity.Saif al-Din KhaderSuspect reportedly arrested in Jordan and cooperating with the FBI; described as an alleged ShinyHunters leader and known as Rey.