79/69 Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Kyle Svara, a 26-year-old man from Illinois, United States, has pleaded guilty in court to hacking nearly 600 women’s Snapchat accounts to steal private and nude photos. He used social engineering tactics by impersonating Snapchat staff and sending messages to more than 4,500 targets, tricking victims into revealing their access or verification codes. As a result, he gained access to approximately 570 accounts and successfully accessed at least 59 accounts to steal explicit private images. The case highlights the growing threat of phishing attacks focused on obtaining one-time passwords (OTPs), a form of cybercrime also commonly seen in Thailand on platforms such as LINE and Facebook.
Investigators found that Svara did not act alone. He also offered account-hacking services on demand through encrypted messaging applications. One of his key clients was a former track coach at a well-known university, who hired Svara to hack the Snapchat accounts of female student-athletes in order to obtain images for sexual extortion (sextortion). That coach has already been sentenced to prison. In addition, Svara sold and traded the stolen images on underground online markets, and authorities uncovered evidence linking him to the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material.
Svara is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18 and faces multiple serious charges, including identity theft, wire fraud, and making false statements. This case serves as an important warning for social media users in Thailand and elsewhere: never share OTPs or two-factor authentication (2FA) codes with anyone, regardless of claims of being platform officials. Users should also recognize that storing private images online always carries risk if accounts are not protected with strong security measures.
