Federal investigators tracking the ShinyHunters hacking group have identified executives at two ransomware negotiation firms who had unusually close contact with the gang, according to sources cited by KrebsOnSecurity. One U.S.-based executive is suspected of helping the group operate a website used to pressure victims into paying ransoms. The probe follows ShinyHunters' breach of the FBI's recruitment site and the arrest of alleged member Pepijn van der Stap in the Netherlands.
krebsonsecurity.com
· 2026-10-19
The Justice Department announced charges against Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old former OpenAI employee from Saudi Arabia, after the company discovered a hidden recording device in a conference room at its San Francisco office. OpenAI says it used its own AI models to trace the device back to Alfozan, who had planted it days earlier, and the FBI arrested him on October 9.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-10-16
Abdulrahman Alfozan, a Saudi national who worked at OpenAI as a lead engineer for about a year before being fired this month, has been arrested and charged with intercepting oral communications after allegedly planting a hidden recording device in an OpenAI executive conference room. Court filings say staff discovered the device taped behind a TV on September 30, and a camera later caught Alfozan re-entering the room on October 5. Prosecutors noted he had booked one-way flights to Saudi Arabia for family members before his arrest.
futurism.com
· 2026-10-15
The FBI has arrested an OpenAI employee in connection with an espionage-related case, according to reporting on the matter. The arrest comes as AI companies in Silicon Valley have already been tightening security measures against spying, including the use of 'honey pots' and monitoring for insider threats.
wsj.com
· 2026-10-15
The FBI conducted searches at more than 40 residences across Texas and filed charges against American facilitators accused of helping North Korean workers secure remote US jobs using stolen or fabricated identities. Investigators say the scheme funneled millions of dollars in wages back to North Korea, with the Americans allegedly running 'laptop farms' to make it appear the workers were logging in from US locations.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-10-14
The FBI arrested and the Justice Department charged Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national and OpenAI product team employee since July 2025, with illegally using a device to intercept oral communications. Investigators say he hid a thumb-sized camera and microphone board inside a TV port in a restricted executive conference room, and left a second device with his wallet and ID in a printer room. OpenAI says it found the first device on September 30, alerted the FBI, and fired Alfozan before his arrest on October 9.
cnet.com
· 2026-10-14
OpenAI discovered a USB recording device wrapped in toilet paper and plugged into a TV in a restricted executive conference room where leadership discussed confidential matters. The FBI alleges the device was planted by Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old OpenAI engineer, and CCTV footage shows him later trying to retrieve it. He was arrested and fired on Friday, and faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted of unlawful recording charges.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-10-14
Federal prosecutors charged OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, a Saudi national, after the company discovered a hidden, encrypted audio recording device in one of its conference rooms. OpenAI said it traced the device to Alfozan using its own models, fired him, and referred the case to the FBI, which arrested him on Friday. The company said it has found no evidence he accessed model weights, source code or customer data.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-10-14
The FBI, working with CrowdStrike, shut down more than 40 laptop farm operations in Texas used to run fake remote-worker schemes, seizing over 200 devices. No arrests were made immediately, as authorities moved to disrupt the operations quickly rather than wait for formal charges, though they warned participants of possible future criminal penalties.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-10-14
The DOJ says Saudi national Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, an OpenAI employee, hid a $14 Seeed Xiao ESP32-S3 Sense device behind a TV in an executive conference room around Sept. 28, concealing it with toilet paper. The device, which includes a microphone, camera sensor and microSD storage, was discovered days later, and Alfozan was reportedly seen checking on it on Oct. 5 before OpenAI security searched his belongings.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-10-14
A Saudi national employed by OpenAI was arrested by the FBI after allegedly planting a recording device in a company conference room, according to CNBC. OpenAI said in a statement that it has found no evidence the employee improperly accessed or removed model weights, source code, or customer data.
yro.slashdot.org
· 2026-10-14
Federal prosecutors allege that Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old OpenAI engineer, hid an audio recording device wrapped in toilet paper behind a monitor in an executive conference room at the company's San Francisco office. He allegedly used internal AI chatbot tools to research the room's meeting schedule and to get technical guidance on building the covert device, and a second recording device was reportedly found in his bag. OpenAI fired Alfozan last Friday, and he faces a federal charge of illegally intercepting oral communications, which carries up to five years in prison.
wired.com
· 2026-10-13
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