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Sajjad Tahmasebi (Fugitive)

The person at the center of this case

Sajjad Tahmasebi (Fugitive)

Case
#823
SourceFBI WantedUpdated Mar 15, 2026
Iran
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 Sajjad Tahmasebi (Fugitive) — the trail went cold in 2018, but the truth hasn't.

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Key leads to think about

🎯
suspect
Lead #1

How did Tahmasebi gain initial access to 144 U.S. university systems and what specific credentials or vulnerabilities did he exploit?

🔍
evidence
Lead #2

What proprietary data and research materials were stolen and sold to Iranian institutions, and what is the national security impact?

📞
contact
Lead #3

Who are the other members of the conspiracy at the Mabna Institute and what roles did they play in the cyber-espionage operation?

Sajjad Tahmasebi is a contractor for Iran's Mabna Institute wanted for orchestrating a massive cyber-espionage scheme that targeted 144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, five U.S. government agencies, and dozens of private companies to steal proprietary data. The stolen information was sold to Iranian customers including universities and the Iranian government at the direction of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Tahmasebi remains at large in Iran, and locating him requires international cooperation and intelligence sharing to prevent further cyber theft targeting critical American institutions.

Case
#823
SourceFBI WantedUpdated Mar 15, 2026
Iran
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.

📍
location
Lead #4

What is Tahmasebi's current location and network within Iran, and does he maintain any international communications or financial accounts?

💡
clue
Lead #5

Were there any patterns in the timing or targeting of institutions that could reveal Tahmasebi's operational methodology or priorities?

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 Issued

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:April 29, 2026

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Case Information

Incident:February 7, 2018
Last Updated:April 29, 2026