Arrest and Allegations
Dutch National Police arrested a 24-year-old man from Amsterdam on September 28 in relation to the infamous hacking group ShinyHunters, as reported by Kotaku. The FBI has claimed the arrested individual, identified by Reuters as Pepijn van der Stap, has been one of the group's leaders since 2025. Van der Stap had previously been convicted of hacking-related crimes but had reportedly claimed to be reformed and worked as offensive cybersecurity lead at Amsterdam-based Neo Security.
Following the arrest, FBI Assistant Director Brett Leatherman addressed remaining ShinyHunters members, warning that arrests have a way of changing who is willing to talk and urging them to surrender. The Dutch police also stated that separate from the ShinyHunters investigation, Van der Stap is suspected of attempted incitement to commit two murders, based on information found on his laptop.
The Rockstar Games Breach
In April, ShinyHunters was behind a data breach of Rockstar Games, reportedly attempting to extort the company. Rockstar did not pay, and the group released data that revealed detailed financial information about GTA Online, including that the game makes over a million dollars daily. This leaked information was so positive that Take-Two's stock price rose.
Rockstar confirmed the breach in a statement, saying a limited amount of non-material company information was accessed via a third-party data breach. The leaked data also provided insights into player counts and other operational details, offering a rare look at the live-service game's performance.
Denial and Context
ShinyHunters has denied that Van der Stap was involved with the group and suggested Dutch police were incompetent. The group has been linked to numerous high-profile hacks, including Ticketmaster, SoundCloud, and the FBI. The arrest is part of an ongoing international effort to dismantle the hacking organization.
As of now, Van der Stap remains in custody in isolation while investigations continue. The full scope of his alleged involvement and the separate murder charges remain under investigation.
Sources and notes
Claims, reports, leaks and rumors are attributed to their original sources. Unconfirmed information is labeled clearly and should not be read as established fact.
