Fired Twins' Teams Meeting Kept Recording, Capturing Their Database Wipe
They thought they were covering tracks, but Microsoft Teams was still rolling.
Muneeb and Sohaib Akhter, 34-year-old twin brothers previously convicted of cyberfraud, were fired from federal IT contractor Opexus on February 18, 2025. Within an hour, they used still-active VPN access to delete 96 U.S. government databases—including eCase and FOIAXpress systems. The pair, described as bumbling rather than masterminds, asked AI how to cover their tracks and discussed extorting $25,000 each from their former employer.
The government obtained a verbatim transcript of their hour-long conversation not through FBI bugs or spyware, but because Sohaib forgot to stop recording the Microsoft Teams meeting where they were fired. The recording captured exchanges like Sohaib asking “Delete all their databases?” and Muneeb coordinating the wipe while warning his brother not to try anything. The damning evidence, revealed in a motion opposing revocation of detention, seals the case against the twins.
- Twins Muneeb and Sohaib Akhter deleted 96 U.S. government databases within an hour of being fired from Opexus.
- Their Microsoft Teams recording accidentally continued after the HR meeting, capturing incriminating conversations about deleting backups and demanding $25,000 severance.
- The recording became key evidence, as revealed in a court filing opposing revocation of their detention order.
Why It Matters
A simple recording mistake turns cybercriminals' own tool into their undoing—a cautionary tale for enterprise security and remote termination protocols.