Dutch police arrested 24-year-old convicted hacker Pepijn van der Stap in connection with ShinyHunters; the group later claimed a hack of FBI data.
On September 16, a 24-year-old previously convicted cybercriminal was taken into custody in the Netherlands for allegedly assisting the crypto hacking group ShinyHunters.
According to Krebsonsecurity, Dutch authorities detained Pepijn van der Stap for questioning regarding ShinyHunters.
Authorities have stated that van der Stap is scheduled to appear at the Rotterdam District Court on September 29, and Dutch media report that the US is also participating in the case.
More than three years ago, van der Stap committed numerous data thefts and extortion under the alias "Umbreon."
Dutch police arrested 23-year-old Pepijn van der Stap, known online as "Umbreon," over suspected links to ShinyHunters activity.
— Dark Web Informer (@DarkWebInformer) September 28, 2026
The previously convicted hacker had publicly described himself as reformed after leaving prison in 2025. Authorities are investigating his possible…
Eventually, van der Stap was arrested, convicted, and given a suspended sentence of four years. He was set free in December 2025.
During his criminal activities, he was employed at cybersecurity startup Hadrian and did volunteer work at the nonprofit Dutch Institute for Vulnerability Disclosure.
Presently, he serves as offensive security lead at Neo Security and told Krebsonsecurity he considers himself a reformed convict.
Only six days following van der Stap's detention, ShinyHunters said it was behind a hack that stole data from 5,000 FBI agents.
The attack also altered the FBI's careers page to show an image of the Pokémon Umbreon.
According to Krebsonsecurity, this marked a departure from ShinyHunters' typical methods, with the group now led by a teenager in Amman, Jordan, known as "Rey."
Rey is said to have combined the group with Scattered Spider and LAPSUS$ to form ScatteredLapsussHunters.
Sources familiar with the probe told Krebsonsecurity that Rey had an "ongoing beef" with van der Stap, and that Umbreon's involvement might have been an effort by Rey to redirect suspicion onto van der Stap.
ShinyHunters has additionally been connected to the hack of Dutch telecom firm Odido in February.
The personal data of six million Odido customers, including bank account and passport numbers, was leaked.
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Disclaimer: this article comes from third-party media and is provided for reference only. It does not constitute investment advice. Crypto and other financial products carry significant price volatility risk, so please make your own decisions carefully.
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