Iran-linked hackers broke into the personal email inbox of FBI director Kash Patel and published a portion of his correspondence online earlier this week. The hack, for which the Handala Hack Team claimed responsibility, also gave a glimpse into Patel’s Baroda connection.
On their website, the hacker group Handala Hack Team said Patel “will now find his name among the list of successfully hacked victims”. The hackers published a series of personal photographs of Patel sniffing and smoking cigars, riding in an antique convertible and making a face while taking a picture of himself in the mirror with a large bottle of rum.
Kash Patel’s Baroda connection
One email dating back to January 2013 offered a glimpse into the FBI director’s India connection. The email was sent by an HDFC Bank official named Damini Danak to Pramod Patel and “spiderkash@yahoo.com” — which is the personal email address of Kash Patel.
Danak provided instructions on how to open an NRE account with HDFC bank. The sign-off suggested that Danak was then an employee of HDFC Bank’s Gotri Road branch in Baroda, Gujarat.
“Thanks, will hopefully have this done over the weekend. when are you leaving baroda? [sic],” Kash Patel wrote back in response.
An NRE (Non-Resident External) account is a bank account designed specifically for NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) to park their foreign earnings in India. It allows NRIs to deposit money earned outside India (in foreign currency), which is then converted into Indian rupees and held in the account.
(Also read: What was revealed in the Kash Patel email leak? Inside the files)
The exchange suggests that FBI director Kash Patel, who is of Indian origin, may have opened an NRE account more than a decade ago.
Kash Patel’s Indian roots
Kashyap “Kash” Patel is an American citizen of Gujarati descent. He was born to parents who immigrated to the US from Uganda.
His father Pramod Rameshchandra Patel is a Gujarati Indian-Ugandan who was expelled by Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in 1972.
Kash Patel was born in New York. His family traces its roots to Bhadran village in Gujarat’s Anand district.
His mother Anjna Patel is of Tanzanian origin. She studied in India and later immigrated to the United States with her husband.
FBI confirms hack
The FBI confirmed Friday that Patel’s personal email had been targeted by hackers. (Also read: Kash Patel’s emails hacked: What is Handala Hack Team? Iran-linked group behind resume, photos leak)
“The FBI is aware of malicious actors targeting Director Patel’s personal email information, and we have taken all necessary steps to mitigate potential risks associated with this activity,” the FBI said in a statement. “The information in question is historical in nature and involves no government information.”
The FBI statement did not identify the hackers believed responsible for the breach, but it noted that the Trump administration is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification of members of the Handala hacking group — an entity it said “has frequently targeted U.S. government officials.”
(With inputs from agencies)
