Dutch authorities have arrested a 24-year-old Amsterdam man accused of helping lead the ShinyHunters hacking group. The FBI says he has been involved with the organisation since 2025 and may have played a role in the Rockstar Games breach that exposed previously private information about GTA Online’s finances.
Amsterdam arrest follows ShinyHunters investigation
On September 28, as spotted by Rockstar Intel, the Dutch National Police shared a statement confirming the arrest. Investigators allege that ShinyHunters has targeted more than 100 businesses and organisations, including the FBI, Rockstar Games and Ticketmaster.
The police statement did not identify the suspect. Reuters has since reported that the man is Pepijn van der Stap, an offensive cybersecurity lead at Amsterdam-based Neo Security.
Van der Stap had previously faced convictions and charges relating to hacking. He had presented himself as reformed before joining Neo Security earlier this year. However, in a statement provided by the FBI, the agency alleges that he was working as one of ShinyHunters’ leaders from 2025.
What the Rockstar breach revealed
In April, ShinyHunters allegedly breached Rockstar Games and attempted to pressure the company into paying for the return of confidential information. Rockstar declined to pay the ransom, after which the group released the stolen data.
The disclosure included information about the performance of GTA Online, offering an unusual look at the economics of one of gaming’s major live-service titles. The leaked figures indicated that the game generates more than $1 million each day. The apparently strong results were also followed by an increase in the share price of Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar’s parent company.
For readers following the business side of games and the wider arcade and gaming news industry, the incident demonstrates how a security breach can expose commercially sensitive information well beyond a game’s public-facing features.
ShinyHunters disputes the allegation
ShinyHunters has denied that Van der Stap was involved with the group and criticised Dutch police, describing the authorities as incompetent.
After the arrest, FBI Cyber Division assistant director Brett Leatherman warned the group’s remaining members that investigators were closing in. He urged them to surrender before further arrests and infrastructure seizures revealed more about the organisation.
“Now, to the remaining members of ShinyHunters: You’ve heard about the arrest of your colleague,” Leatherman said. “We’re confident you’ve seen or heard things in recent days that the public has not. Other groups believed anonymity, or their friends, would protect them, and they were wrong. Arrests have a way of changing who is willing to talk, and seized infrastructure has a way of showing us who’s left. The longer you stay in this, the more we learn about you. You know how to find us, and we know how to find you. I suggest you reach out first while the choice is still yours.”
The case remains an allegation involving an ongoing investigation. Its reported connection to Rockstar also highlights why operators across gaming, from major online platforms to businesses selling arcade machines, should treat customer and operational data as critical assets.
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