Iran-linked hackers claim breach of FBI director s personal email; DOJ official confirms break-in

FILE PHOTO: On April 22, 2025, FBI Director Kash Patel discussed the impact of the anti-Catholic memo issued by FBI Richmond and reiterated the FBI’s commitment to rooting out any anti-Christian bias that could be directing decisions or investigations. (DOJ photo)

WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - Iran-linked hackers have publicly claimed the breach of s personal inbox, publishing photographs of the director and his purported resume to the internet. 

On their website, the hacker group Handala Hack Team said Patel "will now find his name among the list of successfully hacked victims."

Reuters was not able to immediately authenticate the emails published by Hanadala, but a sample of the material uploaded by the hackers and reviewed by Reuters appears to show a mix of personal and work correspondence dating between 2010 and 2019.

A Justice Department official confirmed to Reuters that Patel's emails were compromised but did not go into detail. The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The hackers did not immediately respond to messages.

(Reporting by Raphael Satter, editing by Deepa Babington)