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Illinois Man Charged in Federal Snapchat Hacking Case Targeting Female Student‑Athletes

Prosecutors say a previously convicted Northeastern coach hired him for targeted account takeovers.

Overview

  • Kyle Svara, 26, of Oswego, Illinois, faces federal counts including aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, computer fraud, conspiracy, and false statements related to a child pornography offense.
  • Prosecutors allege the scheme ran from May 2020 to February 2021 while Svara was a Colby College student.
  • Investigators say he used social engineering by posing as a Snapchat representative to obtain two‑factor authentication codes sent to victims.
  • About 570 women provided codes, roughly 59 accounts were accessed without permission, and nude or semi‑nude images were allegedly downloaded to sell or trade online.
  • Prosecutors link the case to former Northeastern track coach Steve Waithe, who they say hired and paid Svara and who is serving a five‑year federal sentence; Svara is scheduled to appear in Boston federal court on Feb. 4.