Teenage from Hacker Group Allegedly Targets Uber, Revolut and Grand Theft Auto
Updated: Jan 5
London court hears Prosecutors' claims of teenage hacker's cybercrime spree, involving Uber, Revolut and Grand Theft Auto.
A London court has heard that Arion Kurtaj, an 18-year-old member of the Lapsus$ hacking group, allegedly hacked Uber and fintech firm Revolut before blackmailing the developers of the popular video game Grand Theft Auto. Prosecutors claim that Kurtaj accessed approximately 5,000 Revolut customers' information, causing nearly $3 million in damage to Uber.
According to prosecutors, Kurtaj also targeted Rockstar Games shortly after and threatened to release the source code of the upcoming Grand Theft Auto sequel. In addition to these charges, Kurtaj and a 17-year-old accomplice, whose identity remains undisclosed, are accused of blackmailing BT Group and EE, demanding a ransom of $4 million between July and November 2021.
The prosecution alleges that both individuals played significant roles within Lapsus$. They purportedly hacked chip maker Nvidia Corp in February 2022 and demanded payment in exchange for not publishing its data. It was revealed in court that the 17-year-old hacked the City of London Police's cloud storage shortly after being arrested in connection with the BT and EE attacks.
Prosecutor Kevin Barry informed jurors that Kurtaj carried out further cyber crimes independently, targeting Revolut first, followed by Uber two days later, and then hacking Rockstar Games.
As psychiatrists have determined that Kurtaj is unfit to stand trial, the jury will decide whether he committed the alleged acts rather than delivering a traditional guilty or not guilty verdict. He faces 12 charges, including three counts of blackmail, two counts of fraud, and six charges under the Computer Misuse Act.
On the other hand, the 17-year-old defendant is currently standing trial for two counts of blackmail, two counts of fraud, and three charges under the Computer Misuse Act, all relating to the BT and Nvidia hacks. However, he denies these allegations and has already pleaded guilty to two offenses under the Computer Misuse Act and one count of fraud.
Arion Kurtaj, an 18-year-old member of the Lapsus$ hacking group, allegedly hacked Uber and Revolut, causing significant damage.
Prosecutors claim he then targeted Rockstar Games, threatening to release the source code of the planned Grand Theft Auto sequel.
Kurtaj and a 17-year-old accomplice are accused of blackmailing BT Group and EE, demanding a $4 million ransom.
Source: REUTERS