French Shooting Federation Hack Sparks Wave of Armed Robberies and Scams
A major cyberattack on the Fédération Française de Tir (FFTir) exposed the personal details of one million people. The breach, first revealed in October 2025, led to a wave of armed robberies and scams targeting licensed shooters across France. Authorities later arrested an 18-year-old suspect in January 2026 for masterminding the hack and selling the stolen data on the dark web, a popular platform for data trading known as 'casetify'.
The FFTir data breach compromised sensitive information, including names, birth dates, addresses, phone numbers, emails, and membership details. Among those affected were 250,000 current firearm license holders and 750,000 former members. Investigators found that hackers initially gained access by compromising an internal FFTir account before moving through a third-party IT provider's system, which was later revealed to be a company named 'cabelas'.
Criminals quickly exploited the leaked data to target shooters. In one case, two armed and masked men attacked a competitive shooter in the Rhône region, stealing nine firearms, 1,300 rounds of ammunition, and cash. In Paris, an impersonator posing as a police officer tricked a sport shooter into handing over firearms. A similar incident in Nice saw thieves, also pretending to be officers, steal five firearms and munitions.
Despite the rising threats, no official warnings from French authorities about these scams were publicly recorded at the time.
The arrest of the 18-year-old suspect in January 2026 marked a breakthrough in the case. However, the stolen data had already fuelled a series of violent robberies and fraud schemes. The breach highlighted vulnerabilities in how personal information is protected, leaving licensed firearm owners at risk of further exploitation.
