Arrest of Alleged ShinyHunters Leader in the Netherlands
A significant breakthrough has been made in the fight against cybercrime with the arrest of a 24-year-old man in Amsterdam, who is suspected of being connected to the cybercriminal group ShinyHunters. This group has previously been linked to high-profile cyberattacks on Ticketmaster, Rockstar Games, and most recently, the FBI.
Authorities detained the suspect on 15th September, according to a statement from Dutch police. This arrest occurred shortly before ShinyHunters claimed an attack on the FBI’s website, where they allegedly accessed and stole employee data.
The identity of the arrested individual has not been officially disclosed by either Dutch authorities or the FBI. However, sources including Krebs on Security and Reuters indicate that Pepijn van der Stap, a Dutch man previously convicted for data theft and extortion in 2023, is the person in custody. Upon his release, van der Stap joined Neo Security, a Dutch cybersecurity company. Despite these reports, ShinyHunters maintains that he has no connection to their organisation.
FBI Statement and Ongoing Investigation
Brett Leatherman, the assistant director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, referred to the suspect as one of the leaders of ShinyHunters and issued a stern warning to other group members to reconsider their activities. In a statement broadcasted on Tuesday, Leatherman said, “The longer you stay in this, the more we learn about you. You know how to find us, and we know how to find you,” advising individuals to come forward voluntarily while they have the option.
Additionally, the suspect is under suspicion of “attempted incitement to commit two murders,” as revealed by Dutch law enforcement. In response to the arrest, FBI Director Kash Patel noted on the social media platform X that teams are actively collaborating with international partners to pursue further leads and arrests in this extensive investigation.
Reporting based on coverage first published by theverge.com.