Court Records Reveal How a Former Coach Paid for Snapchat Impersonation to Obtain Nude Photos of Student-Athletes
Published
Key Takeaways
- Guilty Plea Entered: Kyle Svara, 26, admitted to federal charges, including computer fraud and aggravated identity theft for phishing access codes from nearly 600 women.
- Targeted Exploitation: The attacker used social engineering tactics, posing as Snapchat support to bypass multi-factor authentication and steal sensitive information.
- Legal Consequences: Under a plea agreement, prosecutors are recommending a three-year prison sentence, following the earlier sentencing of his co-conspirator, a former university coach.
An Illinois man has pleaded guilty to orchestrating a sophisticated Snapchat hacking case involving the theft of private images. Kyle Svara, 26, appeared in federal court in Boston on Wednesday to admit to charges of computer fraud and aggravated identity theft. The prosecution revealed that Svara engaged in a widespread Snapchat phishing scam between May 2020 and February 2021.Â
Kyle Svara Admits to Extensive Phishing Operation
His methodology involved socially engineering victims into surrendering their security codes under the guise of Snapchat technical support. Svara used the free Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) TextNow service to send more than 4,500 messages and received more than 700 security codes from 571 women.
Using the codes, he accessed the target’s Snapchat accounts, changed the password, and enabled two-factor authentication (2FA) to block the legitimate account holder from regaining control before downloading images stored within the victim’s account.
This resulted in the download of nude or semi-nude photos from at least 59 Snapchat accounts, according to prosecutors, which were subsequently stored, sold, or traded on various internet forums like Reddit. The individual also offered to hack specific accounts for payment or digital trade.Â
Legal Outcomes and Cybersecurity Implications
Under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors have recommended a three-year prison sentence for Svara, with sentencing scheduled for May 18. Defense counsel, cited by Reuters, stated that Svara has accepted full responsibility for his actions.Â
This case originated from the investigation into Steve Waithe, a former Northeastern University track-and-field coach, who was sentenced to five years in prison in 2024. Waithe had contracted Svara to compromise the accounts of student-athletes and other associates.
For digital platforms and users alike, the incident underscores the need to be skeptical of unsolicited communications requesting authentication data, even when they appear to originate from official support channels. Meanwhile, the FBI has urged potential victims to come forward via a dedicated online form.
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