Snapchat was used in a hacking scheme in which a man from Illinois is accused of illegally accessing user accounts and stealing intimate images, according to US federal prosecutors. The case centres on a phishing operation that targeted hundreds of users by impersonating Snapchat security messages.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said 26-year-old Kyle Svara of Oswego, Illinois, has been charged with multiple offences, including wire fraud, computer fraud, aggravated identity theft and conspiracy. Prosecutors said the charges relate to unauthorised access to Snapchat accounts and the theft of private photos and videos without the consent of the account holders.
According to court documents, Svara allegedly gathered email addresses, phone numbers and usernames for around 4,500 women across the United States. Prosecutors said he then sent text messages that appeared to come from Snapchat, falsely claiming there was a problem with the recipients’ accounts and requesting six-digit security codes.
Federal authorities said approximately 570 people responded by sharing their login codes. Using those codes, Svara is accused of gaining unauthorised access to at least 59 Snapchat accounts. Once inside the accounts, prosecutors said he downloaded nude or semi-nude images and videos stored by users.
The charging documents allege that the stolen material was saved, shared or traded online. Prosecutors said Svara also promoted his ability to access Snapchat accounts on internet forums, offering hacking services to others. Some of the content was allegedly exchanged with other individuals involved in similar activity.
Prosecutors said one of the people linked to the case was Steve Waithe, a former university athletics coach who was previously convicted in a separate federal case. Authorities allege Waithe paid Svara to access Snapchat accounts belonging to women he knew. Waithe was sentenced in 2023 and is currently serving a prison term.
The alleged hacking activity took place between May 2020 and February 2021. Prosecutors said victims included individuals living in several US states, as well as students at a college in Maine. An initial court appearance for Svara has been scheduled in federal court.
Authorities have asked anyone who believes their Snapchat account may have been affected to contact law enforcement. The case illustrates how phishing messages that mimic legitimate security alerts can be used to gain unauthorised access to personal accounts and sensitive information.