{"id":12194,"date":"2026-08-21T16:48:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T16:48:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=12194"},"modified":"2026-08-21T16:48:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T16:48:13","slug":"us-ties-hbos-6-million-bitcoin-ransom-attempt-to-iran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=12194","title":{"rendered":"US ties HBO\u2019s $6 million Bitcoin ransom attempt to Iran"},"content":{"rendered":"

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US prosecutors have expanded an eight-year-old hacking case tied to Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, adding eight defendants and linking six of them to the 2017 HBO breach that included a $6 million Bitcoin extortion attempt.<\/p>\n

A 14-count second superseding indictment unsealed Aug. 18 charges 17 people connected to Iran-based Mabna Institute, up from nine defendants named when the Justice Department first brought the case in 2018.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors allege Mabna operated as a private company that carried out cyber intrusions on behalf of the IRGC and other Iranian government, university and private-sector clients.<\/p>\n

Six of the newly added defendants, including Behzad Mesri, Saeid Houshyar, Manouchehr Hashemloo, Keyvan Fayaz, Saber Shahbazi Ballojeh and Arman Kahzadian, are accused of participating in the 2017 HBO intrusion.<\/p>\n

That breach led to an attempted Bitcoin extortion after hackers allegedly stole unreleased television episodes, scripts, and other proprietary material.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors said the demand began at $5.5 million and rose to roughly $6 million before stolen HBO content was leaked online.<\/p>\n

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The Justice Department has not alleged that HBO paid the ransom.<\/p>\n