Info:
Mehdi Farhadi is wanted for his alleged involvement in malicious cyber activity affecting networks and individuals in the United States and other countries, to include defacing of websites, exfiltration of sensitive data, and unauthorized access to computer networks. Farhadi has also allegedly stolen credit card information and identities of United States persons to fund these illicit activities. Farhadi has allegedly targeted a variety of victims, to include individuals, corporations, non-profit organizations, universities, and government agencies both in the United States and overseas;
On September 15, 2020, a federal grand jury sitting in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, indicted Mehdi Farhadi on charges of conspiracy to commit fraud and related activity in connection with computers, computer fraud – unauthorized access to protected computers, computer fraud – unauthorized damage to protected computers, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The District of New Jersey also issued a federal arrest warrant for both Mehdi Farhadi and his co-conspirator Hooman Heidarian;
“On Sept. 16, 2020, in the District of New Jersey, the Department announced the unsealing of a 10-count indictment charging two hackers, who sometimes operated under the using the pseudonym “Sejeal,” in relation to coordinated cyber intrusions and hacking campaigns targeted computer systems in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. The defendants, Hooman Heidarian, aka “neo,” and Medhi Farhadi, aka “Mehdi Mahdavi,” both Iranian nationals residing in Iran, stole hundreds of terabytes of data, which typically included confidential communications pertaining to national security, foreign policy intelligence, non-military nuclear information, aerospace data, human rights activist information, victim financial information and personally identifiable information, and intellectual property, including unpublished scientific research. In some instances, the defendants’ hacks were politically motivated or at the behest of the government of Iran, including instances where they obtained information regarding dissidents, human rights activists, and opposition leaders. In other instances, the defendants sold the hacked data and information on the black market for private financial gain.” – Department of Justice – Sept. 16, 2020;
Industry:
Tech Industry
Iranian Hackers
Involved In:
Conspiracy to Commit Computer Intrusions
Obtaining Information by Unauthorized Access to Protected Computers
Intentional Damage to Protected Computers
Aggravated Identity Theft
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
Also Known As:
Mehdi Mahdavi
Born:
September 16, 1986
Country:
Iran
Address:
Hamedan, Iran
Reason for the color:
» Department of Justice and Partner Departments and Agencies Conduct Coordinated Actions to Disrupt and Deter Iranian Malicious Cyber Activities Targeting the United States and the Broader International Community – September 17, 2020;
» Medhi Farhadi – FBI Wanted;