The person at the center of this case
Multiple U.S. and international universities, government agencies, and private companies
Cold Case · Open
8 years waiting · since 2018
SEYED ALI MIRKARIMI
Justice for Multiple U.S. and international universities, government agencies, and private companies — the trail went cold in 2018, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
🎯
suspect
Lead #1What is Mirkarimi's current location and operational status in Iran?
🔍
evidence
Lead #2How much proprietary data was successfully exfiltrated and to whom was it sold?
👤
person
Lead #3Who were Mirkarimi's co-conspirators and accomplices in this scheme?
Seyed Ali Mirkarimi, a contractor for Iran's Mabna Institute, is wanted for orchestrating a massive cyber espionage scheme that targeted 144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, five U.S. government agencies, and numerous private companies to steal proprietary data and sell it to Iranian entities. Between 2013 and 2018, Mirkarimi and his co-conspirators gained unauthorized access to computer systems and exfiltrated sensitive research and financial information for profit and to benefit the Iranian government and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The case remains active as Mirkarimi is believed to be residing in Iran, and investigators continue seeking information about his whereabouts and potential co-conspirators involved in this wide-scale data theft operation.
Case
#1043
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.
📞
contact
Lead #4What communications or financial records link Mirkarimi to the Mabna Institute and Iranian government officials?
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: Seyed Ali Mirkarimi 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. Mirkarimi 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 Mirkarimi on computer intrusion, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges, and a federal arrest warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Remarks: Mirkarimi is known to speak Farsi and resides in Iran.
Timeline of Events
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2013
Cyber intrusion campaign begins
Unauthorized access to computer systems at U.S. and foreign universities, government agencies, and private companies begins
🕵️
2018-02-07
Federal indictment issued
Grand jury in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York indicts Mirkarimi on computer intrusion, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges
Case Information
Incident:January 1, 2013
Last Updated:May 10, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:January 1, 2013
Last Updated:May 10, 2026