Notorious Hacker “IntelBroker” (Kai West) Arrested: Exposed by Crypto Transactions, Caused $25M in Damages

A hacker known as IntelBroker recently gained notoriety for consistently selling sensitive corporate data. We want to clarify that despite the alias, this individual has no connection to Intel Corporation; “Intel” was simply part of their chosen pseudonym.

This high-profile hacker has now been apprehended, and investigations reveal that the 25-year-old seemed to have made little effort to conceal his true identity. Remarkably, he even used accounts registered under his real name to liquidate illicitly obtained cryptocurrency, making it effortless for authorities to trace him.

IntelBroker gained notoriety by infiltrating corporate systems to steal sensitive and user data, which he then packaged and listed for sale. Payments were received in cryptocurrency. He was a frequent presence on the hacking forum BreachForums, where he not only posted data listings but also once served as an administrator.

Buyers seeking access to stolen data could contact IntelBroker directly to arrange transactions via cryptocurrency. His list of corporate victims is extensive and includes General Electric, AMD, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Nokia, among others.

One would expect a professional hacker to at least safeguard their anonymity, but IntelBroker appeared oblivious to this necessity. According to the FBI, he brazenly used his real-name accounts to sell the stolen cryptocurrency.

In January 2023, an undercover FBI agent approached IntelBroker with an offer to purchase compromised API keys belonging to a certain company. IntelBroker provided a Bitcoin wallet address linked to an early account on the RAMP online banking platform.

That RAMP account’s registered email was also used to sign up for a Coinbase account in the United States under the name Kyle Northern. The identity verification for that account was completed using a driver’s license belonging to someone named Kai West.

Ordinarily, at this stage, agents would presume that Kai West was an unfortunate victim whose identity had been misused for money laundering. After all, no seasoned hacker would ever transact through accounts tied to their actual identity. Yet, to the FBI’s astonishment, IntelBroker and Kai West were one and the same.

Kai West, a 25-year-old British national, was arrested in February 2025. He now faces prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for allegedly stealing and selling sensitive data from government entities, private corporations, and critical infrastructure. His actions have reportedly inflicted $25 million in damages.

Related Posts:

• Cisco Confirms No Breach After Threat Actor Releases More Data
• IntelBroker’s Digital Trail: OSINT Analysis Exposes Cybercriminal’s Operations
• Indian Government Portal Exposes Residents’ Aadhaar Details and Fingerprints
• NoName057(16): Russia’s DDoS Disruptors Target the West
• INTERPOL’s Operation Contender 2.0 Strikes Major Blow Against West African Cybercrime