BleepingComputer reports that ViLE hacking group members Sagar Steven Singh and Nicholas Ceraolo have admitted their involvement in the compromise of a federal law enforcement database and a blackmail scheme using information stolen from the portal.
After infiltrating the database using account credentials stolen from a police officer, Singh, also known as Anon, Ominous, and Convict, and Ceraolo, also known as Weep, were able to obtain access to intelligence and other sensitive records, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Additional information sought by Ceraolo from social media firms in the guise of being needed in criminal investigations was then leveraged by the hackers to proceed with extorting targeted individuals.
Included in the operations conducted by the hackers were Singh threatening harm to a victim's family unless the target's Instagram account credentials were provided, as well as Ceraolo's spoofing of a police officer in Bangladesh to secure social media data.
Singh and Ceraolo could be imprisoned for two to seven years for their offenses.
After infiltrating the database using account credentials stolen from a police officer, Singh, also known as Anon, Ominous, and Convict, and Ceraolo, also known as Weep, were able to obtain access to intelligence and other sensitive records, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Additional information sought by Ceraolo from social media firms in the guise of being needed in criminal investigations was then leveraged by the hackers to proceed with extorting targeted individuals.
Included in the operations conducted by the hackers were Singh threatening harm to a victim's family unless the target's Instagram account credentials were provided, as well as Ceraolo's spoofing of a police officer in Bangladesh to secure social media data.
Singh and Ceraolo could be imprisoned for two to seven years for their offenses.
