Hackers claiming to be part of ShinyHunters have reportedly stolen personal data from every employee and job applicant at the FBI, including names, home addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, and information about spouses. The hackers defaced the FBI’s jobs website, writing a mocking message that included Donald Trump's signature social media sign-off. In an interview with 404 Media, one hacker threatened unspecified actions against the Trump administration without specifying financial motives. The FBI confirmed unauthorized activity on its job site and is investigating, while Oracle and Amazon are being contacted regarding potential vulnerabilities in their software and cloud services used by the bureau.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-22,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
ShinyHunters, a notorious hacking group, claimed on September 22 that they breached the FBIjobs.gov website and stole personal data from thousands of current and former FBI employees. The hackers obtained sensitive information such as names, home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and dates of birth for many agents and job applicants. ShinyHunters defaced the FBI's jobs portal with a mocking message that included President Trump’s signature phrase "Thank you for your attention to this matter," implying retaliation against his administration.
The FBI acknowledged unauthorized activity affecting their job application site but did not confirm the theft of data. Reuters partially verified some stolen information by cross-referencing it with credit bureau records and previous breaches, finding matches in at least nine cases. The hackers threatened further action if the FBI does not address what they see as false allegations against them.
The breach potentially impacted a significant number of individuals who applied for or held positions within the FBI since 2017 when the site became the primary application platform for agent and support roles. The full extent of data compromised remains unclear, but ShinyHunters shared what they claim is a small sample dataset involving approximately 5,000 individuals.
Written for “FBI Data Breach” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 22 other(s) covering the same event.
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Kash Patel is facing a major security breach at the FBI after hackers claimed to have stolen personal data on every employee and job applicant at the bureau.
asserted
hackers → sign → bureau
ShinyHunters, a notorious hacking gang, said it obtained FBI agents' names, home addresses, phone numbers and dates of birth, and even details on their spouses.
asserted
it → say → spouses
The gang also defaced the FBI's jobs website on Tuesday, writing: 'This site has been seized by ShinyHunters.'
asserted
site → deface → ShinyHunters
The message mocked the seizure notices the bureau plasters on criminal sites it takes down.
asserted
it → mock → sites
They then trolled Donald Trump, ending the message with the president's trademark Truth Social sign-off: 'Thank you for your attention to this matter.'
One of the hackers issued a menacing threat to the Trump administration in an interview with 404 Media, which first reported the alleged breach.
asserted
which → troll → breach
'What we plan to do is not something I'd call extortion, maybe coercion,' the hacker said, adding that it was 'not financially motivated.'
The gang typically steals data and then demands a hefty payout, threatening to dump more files if victims refuse to pay.
asserted
victims → plan → files
The FBI told the Daily Mail in a statement: 'The FBI is aware of claims regarding unauthorized activity affecting FBIjobs.gov and is currently investigating.'
FBI director Kash Patel and Alexis Wilkins arrive at the White House ahead of the UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn, Sunday, June 14
A sample of 5,000 records shared by the gang contained purported addresses, phone numbers and dates of birth, and in some cases details on spouses.
uncertain
sample → tell → spouses
Some of the leaked phone numbers matched people with the same names in open-source intelligence databases, and several were linked to Justice Department personnel, according to checks by 404 Media.
uncertain
several → leak → Media
The message left on the jobs site went further, claiming the gang had personal and health information on current and former FBI employees, plus every applicant.
asserted
gang → leave → employees
'We have a lot more than we claim here,' it added.
uncertain
it → have → more
The site was later knocked offline, with a notice warning that the Special Agent Applicant Portal was 'currently unavailable.'
The FBI has previously warned that ShinyHunters-linked criminals use stolen personal information to harass victims and their families.
asserted
criminals → knock → victims
The representative said the gang struck on Monday night by exploiting a previously unknown flaw, known as a zero-day, in Oracle's PeopleSoft software.
asserted
gang → say → software
The hackers then claimed to have accessed Amazon's AWS GovCloud servers, a cloud service built to hold sensitive US government data, and stolen between two and three terabytes of files.
asserted
hackers → claim → files
Donald Trump attends a meeting at the United Nations in New York on Tuesday
Oracle and Amazon have been contacted for comment.
asserted
Oracle → attend → comment
The alleged breach comes as Patel, 46, faces scrutiny over several controversies since he was sworn in as FBI director in February 2025.
asserted
he → allege → February
It comes a week after Patel faced heated questioning at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing over changes to FBI hiring standards involving prostitution and bestiality.
asserted
Patel → come → prostitution
Patel defended the changes, saying they were meant to let victims of those acts apply for FBI jobs without being automatically disqualified.
asserted
victims → defend → jobs
In April, Patel filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic over an article alleging mismanagement at the agency and excessive drinking, claims he denies.
uncertain
he → file → agency
He has also faced scrutiny over his use of the bureau's $60 million jet, including a trip to see his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins, perform at a Penn State wrestling event last year.
asserted
girlfriend → face → event
Patel has insisted he is 'entitled to a personal life just like my other agency counterparts with their partners.'
asserted
he → insist → partners
The Aporia
