Suspected ShinyHunters leader arrested in the Netherlands

Skip to main contentThe 24-year-old man is linked to the hacking group behind attacks on the FBI, Rockstar Games, Ticketmaster, and more.The 24-year-old man is linked to the hacking group behind attacks on the FBI, Rockstar Games, Ticketmaster, and more.by Sep 29, 2026, 9:50 PM UTCPhoto by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeEmma Roth is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO.Dutch police say they arrested a 24-year-old Amsterdam man in connection with ShinyHunters, the hacking group that claimed responsibility for high-profile attacks on Ticketmaster, Rockstar Games, and more recently, the FBI. In a press release, Dutch authorities state that they arrested the suspect on September 15th — just days before the hacking group claimed to have breached the FBI’s website and stolen employee data, as reported earlier by Reuters.Neither Dutch authorities nor the FBI name the suspect, but Krebs on Security and Reuters report that police arrested Pepijn van der Stap, a Dutch man convicted for data theft and extortion in 2023. Van der Stap joined the Dutch cybersecurity company Neo Security when he was released from prison last year, according to Krebs on Security. ShinyHunters tells Reuters that Van der Stap has “no association” with the group.Brett Leatherman, the FBI’s Cyber Division Assistant Director, calls the suspect one of the group’s alleged leaders, while issuing a warning to remaining members. “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,” Leatherman says in a video published on Tuesday. “I suggest you reach out first while the choice is still yours.”The 24-year-old is also suspected of “attempted incitement to commit two murders,” according to the Dutch police. “As we speak FBI teams are actively working with partners to obtain and execute more leads in the ongoing investigation based on this arrest,” FBI Director Kash Patel writes in a post on X.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Emma RothThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.