Kyle Svara, 26, pleaded guilty in Boston federal court to phishing Snapchat access codes from nearly 600 women and stealing nude and semi-nude photos. Prosecutors say he obtained security codes from 571 women and accessed at least 59 accounts, then kept, sold or traded the images. Svara advertised hacking services on Reddit and was allegedly hired by former Northeastern coach Steve Waithe for $50 per account. Prosecutors will recommend a three-year prison term at his May 18 sentencing.
Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Phishing Nearly 600 Snapchat Accounts, Stealing Nude Photos
FILE PHOTO: The Snapchat app icon on a smartphone in this illustration taken October 27, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
BOSTON — An Illinois man has pleaded guilty in federal court to a wide-ranging phishing scheme in which he obtained Snapchat access codes from hundreds of women and used them to steal nude and semi-nude photos that he kept, sold or traded online.
Case Details
Kyle Svara, 26, admitted on Wednesday that between May 2020 and February 2021 he used social engineering and deceptive messages impersonating Snapchat support to trick victims into sending security codes. Prosecutors say Svara received security codes from 571 women and was able to access at least 59 Snapchat accounts, from which he downloaded nude or semi-nude images.
Svara pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to charges including computer fraud and aggravated identity theft. The prosecution says his activities drew scrutiny after investigators tied his work to an earlier case involving a former Northeastern University track-and-field coach.
How the Scheme Worked
According to charging documents, Svara circumvented Snapchat's authentication by contacting users with messages that appeared to come from Snapchat support and asking them to share one-time security codes. He also advertised his services on Reddit and other online forums, offering hacked content "for you or trade." Prosecutors say he kept, sold or traded images taken from victims' accounts.
Connection To Former Coach
Prosecutors allege Svara was hired in 2020 by former Northeastern coach Steve Waithe to access accounts belonging to women Waithe had coached or knew personally, for about $50 per account. Waithe was previously sentenced in 2024 to five years in prison after prosecutors said he tricked or coerced young women into sending nude photos or had such images stolen from them; authorities said Waithe's scheme affected 56 women nationwide.
"He has taken full responsibility for his actions to his family and close friends, and today's plea was a significant relief as it allowed him to finally accept responsibility publicly," Svara's lawyer Todd Pugh said in a statement.
Under a plea agreement, prosecutors have agreed to recommend that Svara receive a three-year prison term when he is sentenced on May 18.
Wider Context and Risks
Officials and digital-safety experts say this case underscores how social engineering can bypass two-factor protections when users are tricked into sharing one-time codes. They warn users to never share security codes or passwords and to verify communications directly through official app channels.
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