A man has been charged with running a hacking scheme that targeted nearly 600 women on Snapchat
An Illinois man has been charged with running a hacking scheme that targeted nearly 600 women on Snapchat, stealing intimate photos and selling them online.
He now faces a string of serious charges, including aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, computer fraud, conspiracy, and making false statements linked to child pornography.
Kyle Svara, 26, from Oswego allegedly tricked victims into handing over security codes by pretending to be a Snapchat employee, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
Investigators said Svara first collected victims’ emails, phone numbers, and usernames.
When Snapchat flagged suspicious activity and sent security codes to users, Svara allegedly texted them from an anonymous number, posing as a company representative and asking for the codes.
Around 570 women fell victim to the scam, giving him access to at least 59 accounts, according to prosecutors. He then downloaded nude and semi-nude images and sold or traded them on illicit online forums.
Authorities claim Svara also took requests from other users, including the disgraced Northeastern track coach Steve Waithe, who wanted photos of specific women.
Waithe was sentenced in March 2024 to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to crimes that targeted dozens of women he personally knew.
