ShinyHunters Claims FBI Breach, Demands Retraction of May Warning

The cybercrime group ShinyHunters claimed on September 22 that it breached FBI systems and obtained personal data on thousands of employees and job applicants. The group provided a sample of 5,000 records to 404 Media containing names, home addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, and spouse details. Open-source intelligence checks partially corroborated the data's authenticity.

ShinyHunters stated the attack is not financially motivated. A spokesperson told The Register the group wants the FBI to retract a May 15 advisory that accused them of extortion, harassment, and swatting tactics. The group also reportedly defaced the FBIjobs.gov website with a fake seizure notice.

“This is NOT financially motivated. We want the FBI to correct or retract their statements they made, which included substantial false allegations.”

The FBI confirmed it is investigating claims of unauthorized activity affecting FBIjobs.gov but has not verified the breach or the scope of data loss. The agency did not respond to repeated requests for comment from Reuters. The May advisory followed an attack on a learning management platform that disrupted schools across the U.S.

ShinyHunters has a history of large-scale data breaches targeting technology, finance, and retail sectors. Just one day before the FBI claim, the group asserted it had hacked the dark web site of rival ransomware gang Cl0p, gaining access to their infrastructure.