The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating unauthorized activity involving its recruitment website after cybercrime group ShinyHunters claimed it stole sensitive personal information tied to thousands of current and former agents.
ShinyHunters Claims FBI Data Breach
On Tuesday, ShinyHunters said that it accessed FBI and obtained information on "almost all" FBI agents, along with people who had applied for jobs with the agency, Reuters reported.
As evidence, the group shared a screenshot showing the allegedly compromised website and a sample containing information on about 5,000 agents.
The data purportedly includes names, home addresses, Social Security numbers, assignments and family information.
The FBI said it is "aware of claims" involving unauthorized activity affecting FBIjobs.gov and is investigating the incident.
FBI did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comment.
Some ShinyHunters FBI Data Appears Authentic
The publication found that some information in the sample appeared authentic. The news agency cross-checked details, including Social Security numbers, against credit bureau records and previously leaked information.
At least 10 cases, including FBI Director Kash Patel, appeared to match existing records. Some job descriptions also reportedly aligned with the individuals’ actual roles, according to a person familiar with the matter.
However, the report could not establish how ShinyHunters obtained the information.
ShinyHunters Cites FBI Warning
The hacking group said the alleged attack was retaliation for a May FBI announcement detailing its methods and advising potential victims not to pay.
ShinyHunters has previously claimed responsibility for major data thefts involving Rockstar Games, the studio behind Grand Theft Auto and education platform Canvas.
Last year, Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google confirmed that a data breach had affected some of its customers. The incident was also linked to ShinyHunters.
The group on Sunday separately told Reuters that it had launched a "war" against rival cybercrime operation cl0p.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Image via Shutterstock/ Maxim Elramsisy
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