An Illinois man, Kyle Svara, was sentenced to 76 months in federal prison for orchestrating a phishing scheme that compromised the Snapchat accounts of hundreds of women. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston, Svara used anonymized phone numbers to pose as social media support staff, tricking 517 victims into handing over their security credentials between May 2020 and February 2021.
The Mechanics of the Snapchat Phishing Scheme
Prosecutors stated that he sent text messages to more than 1,500 women, masquerading as the official support team for Snapchat. When victims responded with their security codes, Svara gained unauthorized access to their accounts.
This access allowed him to download private nude and semi-nude imagery from at least 59 women. Beyond personal collection, Svara monetized his access. Court records show he advertised his hacking services online, eventually being paid $50 by a former Northeastern University track-and-field coach, Steve Waithe, to target specific student-athletes.
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Legal Consequences and Sentencing Trends
U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy handed down the 76-month sentence in Boston. Svara had previously pleaded guilty to charges including computer fraud, aggravated identity theft, and making false statements to law enforcement. Prosecutors noted that during the investigation, they also discovered child pornography on his accounts.
This case mirrors the prosecution of his co-conspirator, Steve Waithe. Waithe was sentenced in 2024 to five years in prison for his role in schemes to dupe or steal images from at least 56 women. While Svara’s defense attorneys argued in court filings that his actions occurred during a period of isolation while he was a student at the University of Illinois during the COVID-19 lockdown, the court maintained the severity of the privacy violations.
Protecting Personal Accounts from Social Engineering
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Svara gain access to the accounts?
He sent phishing text messages posing as Snapchat support, which prompted victims to provide the security codes required to bypass login protections.
How many victims were affected?
Prosecutors identified at least 517 women whose accounts were breached, with nude or semi-nude photos stolen from at least 59 of those individuals.
What was the connection to the Northeastern University coach?
Steve Waithe, a former track-and-field coach, paid Svara $50 to hack specific accounts of women, including athletes he had coached, to obtain private images.
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