The founder of an oil and gas networking website has been arrested on charges of allegedly hacking and stealing information from a rival website he created.
According to reports, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has accused David Kent of stealing data from more than 500,000 user resumes from Rigzone – a website which he had sold for $51million six years ago.
He is alleged to have stolen the data to help boost the membership of his new website, Oilpro.
In a criminal complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, Kent tried to sell Oilpro to DHI Group by “misrepresenting that the new website increased its membership to 500,000 through standard marketing methods”.
Kent was arrested by the FBI in Houston earlier this week on charges of conspiracy and wire fraud.
In a statement, DHI Group chief executive Michael Durney,said his company was in “complete cooperation with law enforcement officials on this investigation.”
Meanwhile, a lawyer for Kent did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Kent launched Rigzone 16 years ago.
It’s understood the website’s database was hacked twice -once in 2014 and the second in 2015.
The complain said this resulted in members being “solicited to join Oilpro”.