The person at the center of this case
Multiple U.S. and international organizations (144 universities, 176 foreign universities, 5 U.S. government agencies, 36 private companies, 11 foreign companies, 2 NGOs)
Cold Case · Open
8 years waiting · since 2018
GHOLAMREZA RAFATNEJAD
Justice for Multiple U.S. and international organizations (144 universities, 176 foreign universities, 5 U.S. government agencies, 36 private companies, 11 foreign companies, 2 NGOs) — the trail went cold in 2018, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
🎯
suspect
Lead #1What is Rafatnejad's current location and operational status within Iran?
🔍
evidence
Lead #2What specific proprietary data and intellectual property was stolen and sold to Iranian entities?
👤
person
Lead #3Who were Rafatnejad's co-conspirators and other leaders within the Mabna Institute?
Gholamreza Rafatnejad is wanted for leading a sophisticated cyber espionage operation that targeted over 140 U.S. universities, government agencies, and private companies to steal proprietary data and intellectual property. Working as a leader of the Mabna Institute, a private Iranian government contractor, Rafatnejad allegedly orchestrated the unauthorized access and sale of stolen data to Iranian universities and government entities at the direction of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Despite a federal indictment issued in February 2018, Rafatnejad remains at large in Iran, and investigators seek information on his whereabouts and any additional victims or co-conspirators involved in this extensive data theft scheme.
Case
#867
Iran (residence); United States (victim organizations nationwide)
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.
📞
contact
Lead #4Has Rafatnejad attempted to contact any victims, witnesses, or associates since the indictment?
💡
clue
Lead #5What financial records or transactions can trace the proceeds from the stolen data sales?
Have information about any of these leads?
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: Gholamreza Rafatnejad 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. Rafatnejad was a leader 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 Rafatnejad on computer intrusion, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges, and a federal arrest warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Remarks: Rafatnejad is known to speak Farsi and resides in Iran.
Timeline of Events
🕵️
2018-02-07
Federal Indictment Issued
Grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York indicted Rafatnejad on computer intrusion, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges; federal arrest warrant issued
Case Information
Incident:February 7, 2018
Last Updated:May 11, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:February 7, 2018
Last Updated:May 11, 2026