A leading Iranian hacker wanted by the FBI for years was killed last week following a joint Israeli strike on Iran, according to an Iranian media outlet.
Mohammad Mehdi Farhadi Ramin—an Iranian national accused of stealing U.S. citizens’ identities and accessing national security data—died in Hamadan, Iran, Iran International reported, adding that his funeral was held on Monday.
The FBI states Farhadi has been sought by U.S. authorities since 2020 over his “alleged involvement in malicious cyber activity” dating back to at least 2013.
Among his purported crimes, Farhadi reportedly targeted companies, universities, U.S. defense contractors, and nonprofits to obtain sensitive data. Authorities say he also stole credit card information and Social Security numbers from U.S. citizens to fund illicit activities, while selling some of the stolen data on the black market.
Ramin was first indicted on September 15, 2020, by a federal grand jury in Newark, New Jersey, for his alleged role in a large-scale, coordinated cyber intrusion campaign on behalf of the Iranian government.
Ramin and a co-defendant are said to have vandalized websites with ideological messaging intended to project Iranian influence—including images of burning Israeli flags and threats that appeared to “signal the demise” of countries Iran views as rivals, such as the U.S., Israel, and Saudi Arabia.
“They brazenly infiltrated computer systems, targeted intellectual property, and often sought to intimidate perceived enemies of Iran—including dissidents fighting for human rights in Iran and around the world,” the U.S. Department of Justice previously stated.
“This conduct threatens our national security, and as a result, these defendants are wanted by the FBI and considered fugitives from justice.”
Authorities allege the suspect also compromised email accounts by creating hidden automated forwarding rules that secretly sent all incoming and outgoing emails directly to him and his co-conspirators.
Officials emphasized these actions allowed Iran to access a massive volume of stolen information—including hundreds of terabytes of data related to national security, foreign policy, civilian nuclear research, aerospace, and unpublished scientific studies.
Digital has reached out to the Pentagon for additional information.