iCloud hacker gets 18 months in jail for stealing nudes

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Hacker who tried to extort Apple for $100k is spared prison
Ryan Collins has been sentenced for his role in "Celebgate."
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

One of the iCloud hackers behind 2014’s “Celebgate” scandal has been sentenced to 18 months in prison. Ryan Collins helped break into celebrity iCloud accounts and steal private photos, which were later published online.

Collins earlier this year pleaded guilty to carrying out the phishing campaign that persuaded celebrities to hand over their passwords. According to the Justice Department, he sent emails purporting to be from Apple and Google.

In two years from 2012 to 2014, Collins gained access to over 50 iCloud accounts and over 72 Gmail accounts, “many of which belonged to female celebrities.” He also ran a fake modelling campaign in an effort to persuade celebs to sending nude images.

[contextly_auto_sidebar]  Collins was convicted of violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and could have spent up to five years behind bars. However, prosecutors recommended an 18-month sentence as part of a plea bargain.

The Justice Department found no evidence to suggest Collins was actually behind the release of the photos, which first appeared on 4chan in August 2014. He is one of three men convicted of being involved in the hack.

Edward Majerczyk, who carried out a similar scam and gained access to over 300 iCloud accounts, pleaded guilty to his role back in July but is yet to be sentenced. Andrew Helton was sentenced to six months in prison and fined $3,000.

Via: The Verge

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