Suspected Hacker Detained Over GTA Online Data Breach Exposing Revenue Details

A recently apprehended hacker has been identified by Dutch authorities as a key figure in the notorious hacking collective known as ShinyHunters. The FBI alleges that he has been active since last year and may have played a role in the data breach involving Rockstar Games, which exposed sensitive information regarding GTA Online’s financials.

On September 28, the Dutch National Police announced the arrest of a 24-year-old man from Amsterdam, following an investigation into ShinyHunters. This group is believed to have compromised over 100 businesses and organizations, including high-profile targets like the FBI, Rockstar Games, and Ticketmaster.

While the police did not disclose the hacker’s identity, reports have emerged naming him as Pepijn van der Stap, who was serving as the offensive cybersecurity lead at Neo Security in Amsterdam. After facing previous convictions related to hacking, Van der Stap had claimed to have turned over a new leaf and joined the firm earlier this year. However, the FBI asserts that he has been a leader within ShinyHunters since 2025.

In April, ShinyHunters executed a data breach against Rockstar Games, attempting to extort the company for money in exchange for not releasing the stolen confidential information. Rockstar refused to pay the ransom, leading the group to publish the data, which revealed intriguing insights into the success of GTA Online and its revenue generation. The leaked information was so favorable that it resulted in a stock price increase for Take-Two, Rockstar’s parent company, with reports indicating that GTA Online generates over a million dollars daily.

ShinyHunters has denied Van der Stap’s involvement and criticized the Dutch police’s competence.

In the wake of Van der Stap’s arrest, Brett Leatherman, the FBI’s assistant director of its Cyber Division, issued a warning to the remaining members of ShinyHunters, urging them to surrender before facing capture.

“To the remaining members of ShinyHunters: You’ve heard about the arrest of your colleague,” Leatherman stated. “We’re confident you’ve seen or heard things in recent days that the public has not. Other groups believed anonymity, or their friends, would protect them, and they were wrong. Arrests have a way of changing who is willing to talk, and seized infrastructure has a way of showing us who’s left. 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. I suggest you reach out first while the choice is still yours.”