Hacker Accused of Stealing Women’s Private Snapchat Photos Pleads Guilty

An Illinois man has pleaded guilty to a phishing and hacking scheme that targeted the Snapchat accounts of hundreds of women, resulting in theft, distribution and sale of their private photos.

Kyle Svara, 27, of Oswego, Illinois, pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston  to aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, computer fraud, conspiracy to commit computer fraud, and making false statements.

According to prosecutors, Svara posed as Snapchat support and used social engineering and phishing tactics from May 2020 through February 2021 to trick nearly 600 users into supplying account security codes.

Images not just stolen for personal use

With those codes he allegedly gained access and downloaded sensitive images from the accounts of at least 59 victims.

The images were not just stolen for personal use: Svara allegedly sold or traded them online and offered “services” to hack accounts for others through internet forums, even advertising that he could “get into girls’ snap accounts” and provide stolen content on demand.

The case intersects with a previously reported federal prosecution: former Northeastern University track and field coach Steve Waithe, who was convicted in 2023 of cyberstalking and extortion for hiring Svara to hack accounts of student-athletes and others, has been serving a five-year sentence.

Potential decades behind bars

Under federal sentencing guidelines, the charges carry substantial penalties, including minimum prison terms for aggravated identity theft and potential decades behind bars for wire and computer fraud offenses.

Prosecutors said that, during interviews with investigators, Svara falsely denied knowledge of hacking someSnapchat accounts, claims directly contradicted by the evidence collected.

Advice for consumers

The case underscores persistent cybersecurity threats on popular social platforms and the need for vigilance against social engineering. Attackers often exploit trust and platform mechanisms to bypass security protections designed to safeguard user accounts.

According to the Bitdefender 2025 Consumer Cybersecurity Survey, young people are twice as likely as their elders to fall victim to a scam (20% vs 9.7%). The reason? Younger generations are omni-present on social media — now the top attack avenue for scammers.

For Snapchat users and the broader public, the prosecution serves as a stark reminder:

• Never share authentication codes with anyone claiming to represent support
• Enable strong multi-factor authentication for all your online accounts
• Be wary of unsolicited messages claiming account issues or urgent action
• Use a scam detector. Consider using Scamio if you’re suspicious of a certain phone call, email, or text message. Our chatbot is designed to combat socially engineered attacks.
• Educate yourself and your peers. Read the cyber-news bulletin from time to time. Keep up with how attackers are using new technologies and how defenses evolve. Friends and family — particularly younger users — may be targets of similar social engineering tactics. Sharing best practices helps protect everyone.

Svara’s sentencing is scheduled for May 18, 2026.

Members of the public who believe they may be a victim in this case or have any relevant information related to this case are encouraged to reach out here.

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