US prosecutors have charged an Iranian man for hacking HBO and stealing ‘Game Of Thrones’ scripts.
The individual, Behzad Mesri, then allegedly tried to blackmail the network for $6 million (£4.5 million), and now faces computer fraud, wire fraud, extortion and identity theft charges.
Acting US attorney Joon Kim shared the news at a Manhattan press conference, stating authorities believe Mesri is in Iran, though they did not comment on his exact whereabouts.
“He will never be able to travel outside of Iran without fear of being arrested and brought here,” Kim said (via the BBC).
The hacking took place this year, just as season seven of the hit series was airing, and prosecutors allege Mesri began assessing HBO’s online security systems in May.
When contacted by WorldPost, HBO spokesman Jeff Cusson declined to comment.
“As far as the criminal case is concerned, we prefer to leave any comments to the US Attorney’s Office,” he said in an email.
He declined to say if the company’s investigation into the breach was complete or how much the incident had cost the cable network.
While the series was a hit with fans, HBO struggled to keep the details of the episodes under wraps, following numerous leaks.
One came from it’s own Spanish office, when episode six was accidentally made available on their online streaming service days before it was broadcast on television.