How the FBI and Mandiant Unmasked a Serial Hacker Who Faked His Own Death
The Bizarre Case of Jesse Kipf: Cybercrime, Fraud, and a Faked Death Certificate
In January 2023, a hacker known as “FreeRadical” made a critical mistake that would unravel his criminal enterprise. The incident began when a doctor’s compromised credentials were used to log into Hawaii’s Electronic Death Registration System from out of state, falsely certifying the death of Jesse Kipf due to COVID-19 complications.
The Fatal Flaw in the Hack
The hacker posted the fabricated death certificate on a cybercrime forum, boasting about access to the system. However, they failed to:
- Fully redact the state of birth on the certificate
- Properly crop the government seal in the screenshot
This oversight allowed cybersecurity experts to trace the breach back to Hawaii’s state systems.
The Investigation Unfolds
Austin Larsen, a senior threat analyst at Google’s Mandiant, discovered the forum post during routine threat monitoring. Within three days, Mandiant alerted Hawaii officials about the breach. The investigation revealed:
- The “deceased” Jesse Kipf was actually the hacker
- Kipf allegedly faked his death to avoid $116,000 in child support payments
- He used his home IP address in Kentucky to access Hawaii’s systems
Connecting the Dots
Mandiant and the FBI uncovered Kipf’s extensive cybercriminal history:
- Operated under multiple aliases including “GhostMarket09” and “FreeRadical”
- Part of the UNC3944/Scattered Spider hacking group
- Sold stolen credentials to other cybercriminals
- Hacked systems in multiple states and hotel vendors
The Arrest and Confession
Federal agents arrested Kipf in July 2023 at his Kentucky home. During interrogation, Kipf admitted:
- Accessing death registration systems in five states
- Creating a fake credit profile for life after his “death”
- Selling stolen data to buyers in Russia, Ukraine, and Algeria
- Hacking Marriott vendors over 1,400 times from his home IP
“Just laziness…I just super didn’t care anymore,” Kipf told investigators about his security slip-ups.
The Fallout and Sentencing
Kipf pleaded guilty to:
- Causing $80,000 in damages to government and corporate networks
- $116,000 in unpaid child support
- Aggravated identity theft
Prosecutors described Kipf as a “serial hacker” who showed “no fear of consequences.” He was sentenced to 81 months in federal prison, where he must serve at least 85% of his term.
Key Takeaways from the Case
- Cybercriminals often make basic operational security mistakes
- Public-private partnerships are crucial in cyber investigations
- Digital footprints are nearly impossible to completely erase
- Child support evasion attempts can lead to serious federal charges
This case serves as a stark reminder that even sophisticated hackers can be brought to justice through diligent investigative work and cross-agency collaboration.
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