A Pennsylvania hacker who stole more than 100 Apple and Google e-mail accounts, including those of several Hollywood celebrities in 2014, has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison.
In May this year, Ryan Collins, 36, has been pleaded guilty for under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. He admitted to sending phishing e-mails to his victims for two years and obtaining much personal information and confidential information including nude photographs and videos.
He gained e-mail passwords of many actors like Jennifer Lawrence and Aubrey Plaza, and singers Rihanna and Avril Lavigne.
According to the Justice Department, between 2012 and 2014 Collins “engaged in a sophisticated phishing scheme.” In 2014, he circulated the nude celebrity pictures on the Internet. And this incidence again came to limelight when Ken Bone, admitted of viewing Lawrence's nude pictures on Reddit.
Pennsylvania US attorney Bruce Brandler said in a statement that “In some cases, Collins would use a software program to download the entire contents of the victims’ Apple iCloud backups. In addition, Collins ran a modeling scam in which he tricked his victims into sending him nude photographs.”
Investigators found that Collins had hacked at least 50 iCloud and 72 Gmail accounts most of which belong to the women celebrities. He had faced up to five years in jail and a $250,000 fine.
“The defendant intruded into the online accounts of hundreds of victims and in doing so, intruded upon their lives, causing lasting distress,” said Deirdre Fike, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The prison sentence received by Mr. Collins is proof that hacking into the accounts of others and stealing private information or images is a crime with serious consequences.”
In May this year, Ryan Collins, 36, has been pleaded guilty for under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. He admitted to sending phishing e-mails to his victims for two years and obtaining much personal information and confidential information including nude photographs and videos.
He gained e-mail passwords of many actors like Jennifer Lawrence and Aubrey Plaza, and singers Rihanna and Avril Lavigne.
According to the Justice Department, between 2012 and 2014 Collins “engaged in a sophisticated phishing scheme.” In 2014, he circulated the nude celebrity pictures on the Internet. And this incidence again came to limelight when Ken Bone, admitted of viewing Lawrence's nude pictures on Reddit.
Pennsylvania US attorney Bruce Brandler said in a statement that “In some cases, Collins would use a software program to download the entire contents of the victims’ Apple iCloud backups. In addition, Collins ran a modeling scam in which he tricked his victims into sending him nude photographs.”
Investigators found that Collins had hacked at least 50 iCloud and 72 Gmail accounts most of which belong to the women celebrities. He had faced up to five years in jail and a $250,000 fine.
“The defendant intruded into the online accounts of hundreds of victims and in doing so, intruded upon their lives, causing lasting distress,” said Deirdre Fike, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The prison sentence received by Mr. Collins is proof that hacking into the accounts of others and stealing private information or images is a crime with serious consequences.”