A 26-year-old man from Illinois faces federal charges for allegedly phishing Snapchat access codes from approximately 600 women to steal and distribute nude images. The scheme reportedly involved a partnership with a former university track coach to target specific athletes and students across multiple states.
Federal authorities in Massachusetts have charged Kyle Svara with multiple felonies, including wire fraud and identity theft, for his role in a large-scale digital exploitation scheme. Prosecutors allege that over a ten-month period, Svara utilized social engineering tactics to gather personal contact information from thousands of women. By posing as a security representative from Snap Inc., he reportedly tricked hundreds of victims into surrendering their private account access codes.
The investigation revealed that Svara successfully gained entry into dozens of accounts, specifically seeking out sensitive or explicit photographs. These images were not merely kept for personal use; investigators claim Svara traded or sold the stolen content on various internet forums. The documents suggest he was frequently hired by others to perform these specific hacks, turning the unauthorized access of private social media accounts into a commercial enterprise.
A significant portion of the case involves Svara's connection to Steve Waithe, a former track and field coach at Northeastern University. Waithe, who is already serving a prison sentence for similar crimes, allegedly paid Svara to target female athletes under his supervision. This collaboration allowed the pair to victimize women who had professional or personal ties to the coaching staff, further exploiting the trust within the collegiate athletic community.
The reach of the operation extended beyond the coaching connection, as Svara reportedly targeted individuals near his hometown in Illinois as well as students at Colby College in Maine. Using anonymized phone numbers and deceptive messaging, he reached out to over 4,500 potential victims. While many did not fall for the scam, nearly 600 women provided the requested codes, leading to confirmed unauthorized access in at least 59 instances.
Svara is scheduled to make his initial appearance in a Boston federal court in early February to answer to the charges. If convicted, he faces significant prison time for the combination of computer fraud and identity theft. This case highlights a continuing effort by federal prosecutors to dismantle organized networks dedicated to the digital harassment and exploitation of women through social media platforms.
Source: Man Charged In Snapchat Hacking Targeting Northeastern And Colby Students