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, 2 international NGOs
Cold Case · Open
8 years waiting · since 2018
SEYED ALI MIRKARIMI
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, 2 international NGOs — the trail went cold in 2018, but the truth hasn't.
Start here
Key leads to think about
🎯
suspect
Lead #1What is Mirkarimi's current location and network of associates within Iran and internationally?
🔍
evidence
Lead #2What specific proprietary data was stolen and how was it monetized through Iranian government channels?
📞
contact
Lead #3Who were the primary Iranian customers and government officials coordinating with Mirkarimi and the Mabna Institute?
Seyed Ali Mirkarimi is a contractor for Iran's Mabna Institute who allegedly orchestrated a massive cybercrime scheme targeting 144 U.S. universities, 176 foreign universities, five U.S. government agencies, and dozens of private companies to steal proprietary data and sell it to Iranian entities. The conspiracy involved unauthorized computer access, wire fraud, and identity theft affecting institutions across 21 countries. Mirkarimi remains at large in Iran, and investigators seek information about his network, methods, and current activities to prevent further data theft and hold him accountable.
Case
#1043
United States and 21 foreign countries
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York; Federal Bureau of Investigation
Try asking
Claim this imported case
A one-time $10 claim transfers this imported case workspace to your account. You get 10 uploads for this case, 25 daily AI questions for this case, and public tips with files route to you.
10 uploads25 AI questions/day
This does not start a subscription. When the included limits are reached, the Personal plan unlocks more workspace capacity.
More leads to consider
Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
💡
clue
Lead #4What technical infrastructure and tools did Mirkarimi use to compromise 320+ institutions across multiple countries?
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
🕵️
2018-02-07
Federal Indictment Issued
Grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York indicted Mirkarimi on computer intrusion, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges; federal arrest warrant issued
Case Information
Incident:February 7, 2018
Last Updated:September 9, 2026
Leave a comment
Comments
Case Information
Incident:February 7, 2018
Last Updated:September 9, 2026