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Federal Charges Filed Against Illinois Man in Snapchat Phishing of Nearly 600 Women

Prosecutors say he impersonated Snap staff to obtain access codes from targets.

Overview

  • Prosecutors allege the scheme ran from May 2020 to February 2021 while the defendant was a student at Colby College.
  • Court documents say more than 4,500 texts were sent, about 570 women shared codes, and at least 59 accounts were accessed without permission.
  • Investigators say nude or semi-nude images were downloaded and sold or traded on illicit forums, with the defendant advertising services on Reddit and directing contacts to Kik.
  • Former Northeastern track coach Steve Waithe is named as a co-conspirator who paid for hacks and is serving a five-year federal sentence.
  • Targets included students tied to Colby and Northeastern and women near Plainfield, Illinois, and the defendant faces identity theft, wire and computer fraud charges with a first Boston court appearance set for Feb. 4.