● Covered by 5 sources · 7 reportsMedium impact7 neutral
Dutch Police Arrest Man in Connection with ShinyHunters Hacking Group Investigation
Key points
- Dutch police arrested a 24-year-old man in Amsterdam.
- The arrest is linked to the ShinyHunters hacking group investigation.
- Suspect identified as Pepijn van der Stap, known as "Umbreon."
- Van der Stap was previously sentenced for hacking and blackmail.
- ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for hacking the U.S. FBI's job application site.
- The individual is expected to appear before the Rotterdam District Court on September 29, 2026.
- Van der Stap was arrested on September 15, 2026.
- Van der Stap worked at cybersecurity company Hadrian and volunteered at the Dutch Institute for Vulnerability Disclosure (DIVD).
- Van der Stap was on supervised release after serving three years of his four-year prison sentence.
- Van der Stap is now employed as offensive security lead at Neo Security.
- ShinyHunters' current leader is a teenage cybercriminal from Amman, Jordan, nicknamed Ray.
- Ray is also a part of the ScatteredLapsussHunters hacking group.
- The suspect is accused of participating in a criminal organization responsible for over 140 hacks.
- The suspect is being investigated for allegedly planning two murders abroad.
- The FBI's cyber division lead is Brett Leathermann.
- The suspect was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
- The suspect has been remanded into custody for at least 90 days.
- FBI Cyber Division Assistant Director Brett Leatherman released a video on Tuesday.
- The suspect is accused of ordering two murders abroad.
- ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for hacking Ticketmaster.
- ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for hacking Rockstar Games.
- The FBI is collaborating with Dutch authorities on the investigation.
- ShinyHunters told Reuters van der Stap has no association with the group.
- Van der Stap is suspected of collecting $70 million in extortion payments.
- Van der Stap was sentenced in 2023 for hacking and extortion activities.
Arrest Confirmed in ShinyHunters Probe
Dutch police confirmed the arrest of a 24-year-old man from Amsterdam in connection with an investigation into the ShinyHunters hacking group. The arrest took place earlier this month, with the suspect scheduled to appear before the Rotterdam District Court on September 29.
Suspect Identified and Prior History
The arrested individual has been identified by KrebsOnSecurity and DataBreaches as Pepijn van der Stap, who previously used the online alias "Umbreon." Van der Stap was arrested in January 2023, charged with hacking and blackmailing over a dozen companies globally, and subsequently sentenced to four years in prison with one year suspended.
Connection to ShinyHunters
Sources familiar with the investigation suggest a possible connection between Van der Stap and ShinyHunters. The "Umbreon" identity, previously used by Van der Stap, has also appeared in recent ShinyHunters activities, including an FBI breach and the defacement of the Clop ransomware gang's data leak site. Van der Stap used the "Umbreon" alias and Pokémon imagery on BreachForums as early as 2021.
Ongoing Investigation Details
Van der Stap was arrested again on September 15, when Dutch tactical police searched his Amsterdam residence and seized electronic devices. While the "Umbreon" character appeared in a 2020 HackForums defacement before Van der Stap's account creation, authorities are examining the potential links. Separately, Dutch police released a voice recording of a man suspected in the Odido hack, though sources close to Van der Stap indicate the voice does not match his.
Updates
- Van der Stap is suspected of collecting $70 million in extortion payments.
- Van der Stap was sentenced in 2023 for hacking and extortion activities.
- ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for hacking Ticketmaster.
- ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for hacking Rockstar Games.
- The FBI is collaborating with Dutch authorities on the investigation.
- ShinyHunters told Reuters van der Stap has no association with the group.
- FBI Cyber Division Assistant Director Brett Leatherman released a video on Tuesday.
- The suspect is accused of ordering two murders abroad.
- The suspect is accused of participating in a criminal organization responsible for over 140 hacks.
- The suspect is being investigated for allegedly planning two murders abroad.
- The FBI's cyber division lead is Brett Leathermann.
- The suspect was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
- The suspect has been remanded into custody for at least 90 days.
- ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for hacking the U.S. FBI's job application site.
- The individual is expected to appear before the Rotterdam District Court on September 29, 2026.
- Van der Stap was arrested on September 15, 2026.
- Van der Stap worked at cybersecurity company Hadrian and volunteered at the Dutch Institute for Vulnerability Disclosure (DIVD).
- Van der Stap was on supervised release after serving three years of his four-year prison sentence.
- Van der Stap is now employed as offensive security lead at Neo Security.
- ShinyHunters' current leader is a teenage cybercriminal from Amman, Jordan, nicknamed Ray.
- Ray is also a part of the ScatteredLapsussHunters hacking group.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
The daily brief
One email each morning: the day's tech stories, clustered across outlets and summarized. No account needed.
One email a day. Unsubscribe in one click, any time.
Today's brief
Spend a few minutes, get the whole day. Every topic's top stories in one hands-free rundown — listen, watch, or read the transcript.
▶ Play today's brief
New every morning, and the back catalogue is archived by date.
Primary sources
CVE CVE-2026-352739.8 CRITICALHow outlets covered it
The FBI urged members of the ShinyHunters hacking group to come forward following the arrest of alleged leader Pepijn van der Stap in the Netherlands. Van der Stap is suspected of hacking over 140 organizations and collecting $70 million in extortion payments since 2025, and also of planning two murders.
Dutch police arrested a 24-year-old man in Amsterdam suspected of being a leader of the ShinyHunters hacking group, which claimed responsibility for breaches against Ticketmaster, Rockstar Games, and the FBI. The FBI is collaborating with Dutch authorities on the ongoing investigation following this arrest.
The FBI is urging members of the ShinyHunters extortion group to turn themselves in following the arrest of an alleged leader by Dutch police. This development comes after ShinyHunters claimed a data breach at the FBI itself, highlighting the group's continued activity and the law enforcement response.
Dutch authorities, in cooperation with the FBI, arrested a 24-year-old alleged leader of the ShinyHunters hacking group in Amsterdam. The individual is accused of participating in a criminal organization responsible for over 140 hacks and is also being investigated for allegedly planning two murders abroad.
Dutch police arrested a 24-year-old man from Amsterdam suspected of involvement with the ShinyHunters extortion group. The individual, believed to be Pepijn van der Stap, was previously convicted for data theft and extortion and was on supervised release.
Dutch authorities arrested a 24-year-old man from Amsterdam in connection with the ShinyHunters hacking group. This arrest is part of an ongoing investigation into the group, which recently claimed responsibility for hacking the U.S. FBI's job application site.
Dutch police confirmed the arrest of a 24-year-old Amsterdam man earlier this month as part of an investigation into the ShinyHunters hacking group. The suspect, identified as Pepijn van der Stap, was previously arrested and sentenced for hacking and blackmailing multiple companies. This arrest is significant as it links a known individual to a prominent hacking group responsible for numerous data breaches.