The person at the center of this case
Multiple victims: approximately 144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, 5 U.S. government agencies, 36 U.S. private companies, 11 foreign private companies, and 2 international NGOs
Cold Case · Open
8 years waiting · since 2018
ABDOLLAH KARIMA
Justice for Multiple victims: approximately 144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, 5 U.S. government agencies, 36 U.S. private companies, 11 foreign private companies, and 2 international NGOs — the trail went cold in 2018, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
🎯
suspect
Lead #1Why did Karima remain in Iran after the indictment, and what is his current status or location within Iran?
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evidence
Lead #2What specific proprietary data and research was stolen, and how has it been used by Iranian government entities?
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person
Lead #3Who were Karima's direct contacts and supervisors at the Mabna Institute, and are they also being pursued?
Abdollah Karima is wanted for his alleged involvement in a sophisticated cyber espionage scheme that targeted over 320 universities worldwide, U.S. government agencies, and private companies to steal proprietary data and sell it to Iranian entities including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Operating as an associate of the Mabna Institute, a private Iranian government contractor, Karima orchestrated unauthorized computer access and wire fraud affecting victims across the United States, Europe, and beyond. A federal arrest warrant was issued in February 2018, but Karima remains at large in Iran, making this case a significant example of state-sponsored cyber theft and international cybercrime.
Case
#1076
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York; Federal Bureau of Investigation
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More leads to consider
Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
💡
clue
Lead #4How did Karima and his associates gain initial unauthorized access to such a large number of institutional networks across multiple countries?
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Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
Source Narrative
Conspiracy to Commit Computer Hacking; Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; Computer Fraud - Unauthorized Access for Private Financial Gain; Wire Fraud; Aggravated Identity Theft Caution: Abdollah Karima is wanted for his alleged involvement in criminal activities, including obtaining unauthorized access to computer systems, stealing proprietary data from those systems, and selling that stolen data to Iranian customers such as Iranian universities and the Iranian government. Karima was an associate of the Mabna Institute , a private government contractor based in the Islamic Republic of Iran that performed this work for the Iranian government, at the behest of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Victims of the scheme included approximately 144 universities in the United States, 176 foreign universities in 21 countries, five federal and state government agencies in the United States, 36 private companies in the United States, 11 foreign private companies, and two international non-governmental organizations. On February 7, 2018, a grand jury sitting in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York indicted Karima on computer intrusion, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges, and a federal arrest warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Remarks: Karima is known to speak Farsi and resides in Iran.
Timeline of Events
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2018-02-07
Federal Grand Jury Indictment
A grand jury in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York indicted Abdollah Karima on computer intrusion, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges; federal arrest warrant issued
Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case
Case Information
Incident:February 7, 2018
Last Updated:September 12, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:February 7, 2018
Last Updated:September 12, 2026