An Illinois man admitted in a U.S. federal court that he hacked nearly 600 women’s Snapchat accounts using phishing to steal nude and semi-nude photos, which he then collected, sold, or traded online.
Kyle Swara, 26, an American from Illinois, pleaded guilty in a Boston federal court last Wednesday to computer fraud and aggravated identity theft. This case expanded from earlier charges involving a former Northeastern University track coach who hired Swara to hack social media accounts of athletes and other women.
Prosecutors stated that under the plea agreement, they will recommend a 3-year prison sentence for Swara, with sentencing scheduled for 18 May.
According to prosecutorial documents, Swara employed social engineering—a cyberattack strategy using psychological manipulation—to trick Snapchat users between May 2020 and February 2021 into revealing login information.
He sent messages to victims posing as Snapchat support staff, requesting security codes, which allowed him to bypass the platform’s authentication system.
Prosecutors noted that 571 women sent Swara their security codes, and at least 59 accounts were successfully hacked, enabling him to download nude or semi-nude images of the victims.
Charging documents also state that Swara advertised his ability to hack Snapchat accounts on Reddit and other online forums, offering content for personal use or exchange with interested parties.
In 2020, he was hired by Steve Wether, a former Northeastern University track coach, to hack accounts of women whom Wether had coached or had personal relationships with, for $50 per hack.
Wether was sentenced to 5 years in prison in 2024 for deceiving women into sending nude photos or stealing private images from at least 56 victims nationwide.
Todd Pugh, Swara’s attorney, said his client has consistently accepted responsibility with family and close associates, and that this guilty plea marks an important step in publicly acknowledging accountability for his actions.
Source:channelnewsasia
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