A British teenager has been arrested in connection with a large-scale cyber crime that saw dozens of files related to an upcoming edition of the video game “Grand Theft Auto” leaked on the Internet.
On Friday, police in the United Kingdom said the 17-year-old was arrested one day prior at their home in the southeastern county of Oxfordshire.
Police did not disclose the nature of the crime related to the arrest, and reporters based in the United Kingdom say they are unable to report on the specific allegations until they have received legal clearance there.
But a law enforcement source familiar with the incident told The Desk on Friday that the 17-year-old was arrested in connection with the breach of computer servers at Rockstar Games and Take Two Interactive, the developers who produce the “Grand Theft Auto” line of video games. It is also believed the teenager played a role in the theft of intellectual property from the ride-sharing company Uber Technologies, the source said.
On the evening of Thursday 22 September 2022, the City of London Police arrested a 17-year-old in Oxfordshire on suspicion of hacking, as part of an investigation supported by the @NCA_UK’s National Cyber Crime Unit (NCCU).
He remains in police custody. pic.twitter.com/Zfa3OlDR6J
— City of London Police (@CityPolice) September 23, 2022
Last weekend, a person using the moniker “teapotuberhacker” leaked around 90 video files and other data that they claimed was related to the forthcoming release of “Grand Theft Auto VI,” the next title in the popular Grand Theft Auto franchise. The files were initially posted to the website GTAForum, where the purported hacker threatened to release more information, including the source code for the Grand Theft Auto game currently on sale.
On Monday, a spokesperson for Rockstar Games affirmed their company was the victim of a cyberattack that resulted in the theft of some of its intellectual property, including files related to the development of Grand Theft Auto VI. The company said it was cooperating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on the matter.
Federal law enforcement believe the theft of the Grand Theft Auto VI files were linked to an online hacking group that is likely also responsible for a cyberattack against systems used by Uber Technologies. In a statement, a spokesperson for Uber said the company thinks the attacker was able to gain access to their systems after stealing a contractor’s username and password.
Uber and Rockstar Games are in close coordination with the FBI and US Department of Justice amid both companies being hacked.
The group known as Lapsus were seemingly involved with the attacks which have previously targeted Microsoft & Nvidia in 2022.https://t.co/VVrGsA2ljJ pic.twitter.com/1Dv3rXnsrb
— Ben (@videotechuk_) September 19, 2022
The FBI’s dual investigations eventually led police to a home in Oxfordshire this week, where the 17-year-old was taken into custody, the law enforcement source said. The teenager is being held on a variety of charges, including conspiracy to attack at least two computer systems, the source affirmed. The Desk is not identifying the teenager by name because they are considered a minor in the United States.
Police in the United Kingdom have declined to offer specific information as to the nature of the charges against the teenager. Officials at the FBI have not publicly commented on the arrest. It was not clear if the teenager would be charged in the United Kingdom or the United States. The source said additional suspects could be identified and arrested in the coming days.
