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Multiple institutions: 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 person at the center of this case

Multiple institutions: 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

Case
#823
SourceFBI WantedUpdated Mar 15, 2026
United States and 21 foreign countries
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York; Federal Bureau of Investigation
Cold Case · Open
8 years waiting · since 2018

SAJJAD TAHMASEBI

Justice for Multiple institutions: 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.

Start here

Key leads to think about

🎯
suspect
Lead #1

Why did Tahmasebi choose to work for the Mabna Institute and the Iranian government, and what motivated his involvement in this large-scale espionage operation?

🔍
evidence
Lead #2

What specific proprietary data and research was stolen, and how was it used by Iranian universities and government agencies?

📍
location
Lead #3

Where in Iran is Tahmasebi currently believed to be located, and what resources exist for international law enforcement cooperation?

Sajjad Tahmasebi is wanted for his role in a sophisticated cyber espionage scheme that targeted over 320 universities, government agencies, and private companies across the United States and 21 foreign countries. Working as a contractor for Iran's Mabna Institute on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Tahmasebi allegedly orchestrated unauthorized access to computer systems to steal proprietary research and data, which was then sold to Iranian entities. He remains at large in Iran, and locating him requires international cooperation to prevent further intellectual property theft and protect critical research institutions.

Case
#823
SourceFBI WantedUpdated Mar 15, 2026
United States and 21 foreign countries
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

Were there accomplices or other contractors involved in this scheme who may still be active or identifiable?

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: Sajjad Tahmasebi 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. Tahmasebi was a contractor for 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 Tahmasebi on computer intrusion, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges, and a federal arrest warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Remarks: Tahmasebi is known to speak Farsi and resides in Iran.

Timeline of Events

🕵️
2018-02-07

Federal Indictment

Grand jury in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York indicted Tahmasebi on computer intrusion, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges; federal arrest warrant issued

Case Information

Incident:February 7, 2018
Last Updated:May 9, 2026

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Case Information

Incident:February 7, 2018
Last Updated:May 9, 2026