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Multiple U.S. and international institutions (144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, 5 U.S. government agencies, 36 U.S. private companies, 11 foreign companies, 2 NGOs)

The person at the center of this case

Multiple U.S. and international institutions (144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, 5 U.S. government agencies, 36 U.S. private companies, 11 foreign companies, 2 NGOs)

Case
#867
SourceFBI WantedUpdated Mar 15, 2026
United States and International
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York; Federal Bureau of Investigation
Cold Case · Open
8 years waiting · since 2018

GHOLAMREZA RAFATNEJAD

Justice for Multiple U.S. and international institutions (144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, 5 U.S. government agencies, 36 U.S. private companies, 11 foreign companies, 2 NGOs) — the trail went cold in 2018, but the truth hasn't.

Start here

Key leads to think about

🎯
suspect
Lead #1

What is Rafatnejad's current location and operational status within Iran?

🔍
evidence
Lead #2

What specific proprietary data and research was stolen and how has it been utilized by Iranian entities?

📞
contact
Lead #3

Are there known associates or co-conspirators still operating in the cyber espionage network?

Gholamreza Rafatnejad is wanted for leading a sophisticated computer hacking and data theft operation targeting over 140 U.S. universities, government agencies, and private companies on behalf of Iran's Mabna Institute and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The scheme involved unauthorized access to computer systems, theft of proprietary research and data, and sale of stolen information to Iranian customers between 2013 and 2018. Rafatnejad remains at large in Iran, and investigators seek information on his whereabouts and any connections to ongoing cyber espionage activities.

Case
#867
SourceFBI WantedUpdated Mar 15, 2026
United States and International
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 #4

What financial transactions or money trails can be traced from the sale of stolen data to Iranian customers?

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

📋
2013

Mabna Institute cyber espionage campaign begins

Coordinated computer intrusion and data theft targeting U.S. and international institutions begins

🕵️
2018-02-07

Federal grand jury indictment

Grand jury in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York indicts Rafatnejad on computer intrusion, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges

Case Information

Incident:January 1, 2013
Last Updated:September 12, 2026

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Case Information

Incident:January 1, 2013
Last Updated:September 12, 2026