Dutch police detain a man linked to the Rockstar hack inquiry

Dutch police have detained a 24-year-old Amsterdam resident as part of the investigation into the ShinyHunters group. They did not officially name him, but a former employer confirmed to Reuters that it is Pepijn van der Stap. That employer is Benjamin Corper, head of Amsterdam-based Neo Security. Police said the man was due before a Rotterdam court on 29 September.

Van der Stap already has a conviction for computer crimes. In 2023 he was sentenced to four years, one of them suspended, for data theft and extortion. Investigators estimated the proceeds at 1.5 to 2.7 million euros. After an early release in December 2025 he joined Neo Security and said in public that he wanted to work in legitimate defense.

His name has now surfaced in the ShinyHunters case, but the group itself denies any link. Dutch authorities have not called him a member and have not declared him guilty of specific attacks. In recent months the group has been tied to several large leaks, including a breach at Rockstar after which internal company data and information connected to GTA Online got out. Reuters has also reported a suspected attack on the FBIJobs.gov portal, with sensitive employee data taken. The US investigation is still open.

The arrest by itself does not prove what role van der Stap played. The FBI has already asked ShinyHunters members, in public, to make contact.